The Laws of Belief

Ranking Theory and Its Philosophical Applications
Erscheinungsjahr 2012
ISBN: 978-0-19-969750-2
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 616 Seiten, Format (B × H): 159 mm x 237 mm, Gewicht: 1102 g

Wolfgang Spohn presents the first full account of the dynamic laws of belief, by means of ranking theory. This book is his long-awaited presentation of ranking theory and its ramifications. He motivates and introduces the basic notion of a ranking function, which recognises degrees of belief and at the same time accounts for belief simpliciter. He provides a measurement theory for ranking functions, accounts for auto-epistemology in ranking-theoretic terms, and explicates the basic notion of a (deductive or non-deductive) reason. The rich philosophical applications of Spohn's theory include: a new account of lawlikeness, an account of ceteris paribus laws, a new perspective on dispositions, a rich and detailed theory of deterministic causation, an understanding of natural modalities as an objectification of epistemic modalities, an account of the experiential basis of belief--and thus a restructuring of the debate on foundationalism and coherentism (and externalism and contextualism)--and, finally, a revival of fundamental a priori principles of reason fathoming the basics of empiricism and the relation between reason and truth, and concluding in a proof of a weak principle of causality. All this is accompanied by thorough comparative discussions, on a general level as well as within each topic, and in particular with respect to probability theory.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Spohn, Wolfgang

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Wissenschaftstheorie, Wissenschaftsphilosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Erkenntnistheorie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Wissenschaften: Theorie, Epistemologie, Methodik
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Metaphysik, Ontologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- Preface

- 1: Introduction

- 2: Belief and Its Objects

- 3: The Probabilistic Way

- 4: The Representation of Belief: Some Standard Moves

- 5: Ranking Functions

- 6: Reasons and Apriority

- 7: Conditional Independence and Ranking Nets

- 8: The Measurement of Ranks

- 9: Supposing, Updating, and Reflection

- 10: Ranks and Probabilities

- 11: Comparisons

- 12: Laws and Their Confirmation

- 13: Ceteris Paribus Conditions and Dispositions

- 14: Causation

- 15: Objectification

- 16: Justification, Perception, and Consciousness

- 17: The A Priori Structure of Reasons

- Bibliography

- Name Index

- Subject Index

Über Autor(innen)

Wolfgang Spohn studied philosophy, logic/philosophy of science, and mathematics at the University of Munich. He has held positions at the University of Regensburg (1986-91) and the University of Bielefeld (1991-96), and has held a chair in philosophy and philosophy of science at the University of Konstanz since 1996. He is author of three books and over eighty papers, and editor of the journal Erkenntnis.