King Solomon has a problem.

The lecherous King Solomon has his eyes set on another man's wife. However, his licentiousness is tempered by the knowledge that uncharismatic leaders often sleep with other men's wives, and that uncharismatic leaders are often overthrown.

But the lascivious King Solomon knows that commiting adultery does not result in being overthrown, rather, charismatic leaders are both more unlikely to be overthrown and unlikely to sleep around.

So what should the lustful King Solomon do?

Casual decision theory (CDT) states that, as sleeping with another man's wife is not causally linked with being overthrown, the lewd King Solomon should commit adultery, as adultery does not make him a more or less charismatic leader.

However, evidential decision theory states that, of all Kings who sleep around, most of them are overthrown, thus, if the libidonous King Solomon commits adultery, he is more likely to be overthrown, as adultery provides evidence that he is an uncharismatic leader.

Assuming that King Solomon's charisma attribute is already prerolled and not modified by his action, there are four possible cases:

  1. He is charismatic, and decides to commit adultery. Probably not overthrown. +1.
  2. He is charismatic, and decides to refrain from his lubricous desires. Probably not overthrown. 0.
  3. He is not charismatic, and decides to commit adultery. Overthrown. -∞+1.
  4. He is not charismatic, and decides not to commit adultery. Overthrown anyways. -∞.

Unlike Newcomb's Problem, CDT wins in this case, as King Solomon gets to sleep around without affecting his chance of being overthrown.

Any problem that follows the same general structure as Solomon's Problem is referred to as a Solomon-like problem. All Solomon-like problems have two causally unrelated events (adultery and overthrow), and a third "hidden factor" which is causally related to both events (charisma). Such as a genetic factor that makes you want to chew gum and casues throat abcesses. Or gasoline prices rise, resulting in increased automaker layoffs and pineapple prices. Although one usually gives you information on the other, choosing to change one will have no effect on the other.

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