Second Formal Epistemology Festival:
Causal Decision Theory and Scoring Rules
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
May 29-31, 2009

This is the second of three small, thematically focused events in formal epistemology, organized by Franz Huber (Konstanz), Eric Swanson (Michigan), and Jonathan Weisberg (Toronto). This year’s festivities coincide with the 10th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s The Foundations of Causal Decision Theory. The participants will include Lara Buchak, John Collins, Kenny Easwaran, Branden Fitelson, Allan Gibbard, Chris Hitchcock, James Joyce, Chris Meacham, Sarah Moss, Wolfgang Spohn, Ralph Wedgwood, and the organizers.

Click here for a map, and click here for a printable schedule. Registration is free, but participants are asked to email Eric Swanson (at ericsw@umich.edu) in advance for planning purposes.

The major airport nearest Ann Arbor is Detroit Metro (DTW). Hotels within walking distance of the conference site include the Bell Tower, the Campus Inn, and the Ann Arbor Bed and Breakfast. Several other hotels are easily accessible by bus.

All talks will take place in the Pond Rooms at the Michigan Union.

Conference schedule:

Friday, May 299:30-11:00John Collins, “Decision Theory for Simple Belief”
11:15-12:45 Jim Joyce, “Some Recent Thoughts on Causal Reasoning and on Epistemic Scoring Rules”
2:15-3:45Ralph Wedgwood, “Gandalf’s Solution to the Newcomb Problem”
4:00-5:30Kenny Easwaran, “Dominance-Based Decision Theory”
6:30Dinner and drinks at Eric and Sarah’s
Saturday, May 309:30-11:00Sarah Moss, “Scoring Rules and Epistemic Compromise”
11:15-12:45Lara Buchak and Branden Fitelson
“Separability Assumptions in Scoring-Rule Based Arguments for Probabilism” and
“Advice-Giving and Scoring-Rule Based Arguments for Probabilism”
2:15-3:45Branden Fitelson and Chris Hitchcock, “Probabilistic Measures of Causal Strength”
4:00-5:30Chris Meacham, “Binding and Its Consequences”
6:30Dinner and drinks at Eric and Sarah’s
Sunday, May 3110:15-11:45Eric Swanson, “Conditional Excluded Middle (and Causal Decision Theory) without the Limit Assumption”
1:00-2:30Wolfgang Spohn, “How Causal Decision Theorists Can One-Box and Why They Should”