Act On Principle

Philosophy has massive practical applications for decision making.

Take for example the debate between consequentialism and deontology. These are two big jargony words that bearded philosophy professors toss around to make themselves sound smart. Academics argue about them, and write papers no one reads about the backwardness on deontology and how technology is moving us towards a utilitarian wonderland.

But don’t dismiss the idea because of the douchebaggery. These ideas can reform how you think about making decisions, and particularly how we think about making decisions in the future. 

You’ve probably heard of the trolly problem before. There is a trolly coming down the tracks and it will kill five people if you don’t pull a switch. If you do pull a switch it will go down a different track and only kill one person.

The gut instinct for most people is to pull the switch.

This is a neat thought experiment. One that philosophers try to apply to real life, without understanding the astounding complexity of real life.

Given the parameters of the abstract thought experiment, it makes sense to be utilitarian. To have fewer people die is better. But the thought experiment does little to help us in the real world. Because in the real world, we can never have certainty about the consequences of our actions.

Consequentialism in decision making is not only a recipe for anxiety, but also for disaster.

Take for example the opportunity to lie to a friend about plans for the night because you want to protect their feelings. In the moment of decision making you can attempt some form of calculation and think that the risk of being found out is low, so it makes sense to lie.

But the simple situation is way too complex to understand. If you spent the next 24 hours analyzing the probabilities of possible scenario’s you probably wouldn’t be able to know the likely outcome of your lie. So since you cannot possibly calculate and make a decision on the spot you do what feels easiest at the moment. Instead of being committed to making decisions based on the best-perceived consequences you decide based on what feels easiest.

Instead, if you act on principle, the decision is a simple one. Don’t lie. It requires no effort. You live your life with rules so the decision is simple. Tell the truth.

Deontological decision making requires an understanding of your principles, but it is a much more effective way to live your life.