Decisions, Games, and Rational Choice
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this philosophy course on Bayesian decision theory, game theory, and collective choice. It examines why degrees of belief should behave like probabilities, whether maximizing expected utility is always rational, and what that utility actually represents. The course covers solution concepts in game theory such as Nash equilibrium and asks what they say about how rational players will or should act. It also takes up social choice questions: how the values and actions of groups, institutions, and societies relate to those of the individuals who make them up. Materials include lecture notes, readings, and problem sets from MIT's philosophy curriculum, free to access through OCW with no certificate offered. The course suits students wanting the mathematical and philosophical grounding behind rational choice rather than just its applications.