How ought we to reason? What is it rational to think and to do? In the theoretical realm, one might look to formal logic and probability theory for an answer. In the practical realm, decision theory is the gold standard for many social scientists. But which logic? which decision theory? and how exactly should we reason with probabilities? Faculty at Texas A&M explore these normative questions about alternative logics, extensions of classical logic (e.g., to modality), and different versions of the theory of choice. At the same time, we are interested in philosophical questions arising from formal work (the ontological status of mathematical objects and of possibilities, for example), on how formal theories can be applied to solve real world problems, and on how normative theories of rationality interact with empirical studies of reasoning.
Faculty studying these questions include: