Conclusion

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter summarizes the findings of the book, which concern the challenges associated with effective choice over time in light of the possibility of rationally cyclic preferences and rationally incomplete preferences. Each chapter of the book is briefly reviewed. The eight chapters reviewed include the following: Chapter 1: Disorderly Preferences; Chapter 2: Self-Defeating Self-Governance; Chapter 3: Instrumental Rationality Revamped; Chapter 4: Parity; Chapter 5: Incomparability; Chapter 6: Betterness; Chapter 7: Resolutions and Regret upon Going Astray; and Chapter 8: Regret in Continued Endorsement Cases. Key take-home messages are emphasized. The central take-home message is that rationality can handle quite a lot of messiness. This is important, since rationality wouldn’t be all that helpful if, whenever messiness threatened, we had to rush to its rescue rather than look to it for guidance.