Arguments for—or against—Probabilism?

Autor: Hájek, Alan
Předmět:
Zdroj: British Journal for the Philosophy of Science; Dec2008, Vol. 59 Issue 4, p793-819, 27p
Abstrakt: Four important arguments for probabilism—the Dutch Book, representation theorem, calibration, and gradational accuracy arguments—have a strikingly similar structure. Each begins with a mathematical theorem, a conditional with an existentially quantified consequent, of the general form: if your credences are not probabilities, then there is a way in which your rationality is impugned. Each argument concludes that rationality requires your credences to be probabilities. I contend that each argument is invalid as formulated. In each case there is a mirror-image theorem and a corresponding argument of exactly equal strength that concludes that rationality requires your credences not to be probabilities. Some further consideration is needed to break this symmetry in favour of probabilism. I discuss the extent to which the original arguments can be buttressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index