ABSTRACT
Most decisions are made informally, whether intuitively without deliberate thought, or based on careful reflection. However, over the centuries people have recognized the need for better and more defensible decisions and have tried to develop systematic and structured aids. Ideal wisdom is not remotely achievable, given students' normal cognitive limitations and the current state of the art of logical analysis. Students make decisions — or will in the future — in different capacities. They may be professional or private. Civic decisions differ from personal decisions in a number of ways. They are much less important in students’ life than personal decisions. A civic decider, such as a voter, has only remote influence over what action is taken, and can rarely spend more than an hour or two thinking about it. In contrast to private decision-making, the practice and teaching of professional decision-aiding is already well-advanced, especially in business, public policy and medicine, and teaching materials.
