Probabilistic promotion and ability

Elson, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3013-8030 (2019) Probabilistic promotion and ability. Ergo, 6 (34). 20200313. ISSN 2330-4014 doi: 10.3998/ergo.12405314.0006.034

Abstract/Summary

We often have some reason to do actions insofar as they promote outcomes or states of affairs, such as the satisfaction of a desire. But what is it to promote an outcome? I defend a new version of 'probabilism about promotion'. According to Minimal Probabilistic Promotion, we promote some outcome when we make that outcome more likely than it would have been if we had done something (anything) else. This makes promotion easy and reasons cheap.