Subjective Values Should be Sharp

Jon Marc Asper
Missouri Philosophy Forum
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Strickland Hall 114

Adam Elga (2010) has argued that, even when no particular subjective probability is required by one’s evidence, perfectly rational people will have sharp subjective probabilities. Otherwise, they would be rationally permitted to knowingly turn down some sure gains. I argue that, for mainly the same reasons, perfectly rational people will have sharp subjective values. A noteworthy implication is that even arbitrarily sharpened subjective values can be practically authoritative.