FWIW, I wouldn’t classify Newcomb’s Problem as having to do with “consequences in the past” or Counterfactual Mugging as having to do with “consequences in another possible world”.
For me, “consequences” refers to the basic cause-and-effect relationship—and consequences always take place downstream.
Anticipating something doesn’t really mean that the future is causally affecting the past. If you deconstruct anticipation, it is all actually based on current and previous knowledge.
You are arguing definitions (with the use of a dictionary, no less!). The notion of consequences useful for decision theory is a separate idea from causality of physics.
FWIW, I wouldn’t classify Newcomb’s Problem as having to do with “consequences in the past” or Counterfactual Mugging as having to do with “consequences in another possible world”.
For me, “consequences” refers to the basic cause-and-effect relationship—and consequences always take place downstream.
Anticipating something doesn’t really mean that the future is causally affecting the past. If you deconstruct anticipation, it is all actually based on current and previous knowledge.
You are arguing definitions (with the use of a dictionary, no less!). The notion of consequences useful for decision theory is a separate idea from causality of physics.
Is “consequences” really a good term for what you are talking about?
It seems as though it is likely to cause confusion to me.
Does anyone else use the term in this way?