Von Wright's "The Logic of Preference" revisited

Preference is a key area where analytic philosophy meets philosophical logic. I start with two related issues: reasons for preference, and changes in preference, first mentioned in von Wright’s book The Logic of Preference but not thoroughly explored there. I show how these two issues can be handled together in one dynamic logical framework, working with structured two-level models, and we investigate the resulting dynamics of reason-based preference in some detail. Next, we study the foundational issue of entanglement between preference and beliefs, and relate the resulting richer logics to belief revision theory and decision theory. Analytic philosophy is well-known for its emphasis on clarity in philosophical formulation and argument, and modern formal logic and informal analysis of language go together well as tools for this purpose. Philosophical logics are often constructed based on philosophical analysis of a certain concept, but then in return, new logics become new tools suggesting new philosophical notions. I am interested in a harmonious interplay between analytic philosophy and philosophical logic, where ideas can flow both ways. In this paper, I will take the case of preference as a typical example, a crucial notion guiding rational choice and action. Starting with von Wright’s work, The Logic of Preference, where he gave a philosophical analysis of preference and also a first logical system that became very influential, I hope to show how modern logic can add further technical sophistication, while also raising new philosophical questions.