Expected utility formalism

https://arbital.com/p/expected_utility_formalism

by Eliezer Yudkowsky Dec 2 2015 updated Feb 16 2017

Expected utility is the central idea in the quantitative implementation of consequentialism


The expected utility formalism combines a probability distribution relating actions to their probable consequences, with a utility function over consequences of actions, in order to assign expected utilities to actions. A key issue is the form and derivation of the probability distribution relating actions to consequences, usually held to be a [ counterfactual probability distribution].