Beyond Uncertainty: Reasoning with Unknown Possibilities

by Katie Steele

The main aim of this Element is to introduce the topic of limited awareness, and changes in awareness, to those interested in the philosophy of decision-making and uncertain reasoning. While it has long been of interest to economists and computer scientists, this topic has only recently been subject to philosophical investigation. Indeed, at first sight limited awareness seems to evade any systematic it is beyond the uncertainty that can be managed. On the one hand, an agent has no control over what contingencies she is and is not aware of at a given time, and any awareness growth takes her by surprise. On the other hand, agents apparently learn to identify the situations in which they are more and less likely to experience limited awareness and subsequent awareness growth. How can these two sides be reconciled? That is the puzzle we confront in this Element.

Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2021

About the author

From the start, sports have always been a means of connection for me. They’ve brought me closer to the people I love and myself.

I had the opportunity to run at University or Oregon and Florida State University. And through that tumultuous and heartbreaking experience, I became passionate about athlete mental health.

I completed my graduate degree in Couples and Family Therapy at the University of Oregon with the sole intention to work with athletes, knowing with proper resources we can prevent a significant amount of athletes’ suffering.

Now, as a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Co-Founder of Thrive Mental Health (an outpatient mental health clinic in Bend, Oregon), co-author of The Price She Pays and, most importantly, a mom to three kids, I am deeply committed to ensuring sports are an enriching experience for youth that elevates their mental health and well-being.

Together, I know to my bones – and through a lot of research :) – that we can change the framework of sport and mental health and preserve the health of the athlete. This means more fulfillment, longevity in the game, and development of characteristics that will benefit them for their entire lifetime.