Probability and Evidence (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy) - Hardcover

Horwich, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521237580 ISBN 13: 9780521237581

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1982

Synopsis

In this volume, which was originally published in 1982, Paul Horwich presents a clear and unified approach to a number of problems in the philosophy of science. He diagnoses the failure of other attempts to resolve them as stemming from a too-rigid, all-or-nothing conception of belief, and adopts instead a Bayesian strategy, emphasising the degree of confidence to which we are entitled the light of scientific evidence. This probabilistic approach, he argues, yields a more complete understanding of the assumptions and procedures characteristic of scientific reasoning. It also accounts for the merits of simplicity, severe tests and surprising predictions, and provides a way in which the dispute between the realist and instrumentalist views of science might be resolved. The result is a crisp, well-focused contribution to the philosophy of science. The elaboration of an important conception of probability will stimulate anyone with an interest in the field.

About this title

Review

'... the strongest and most influential parts of Probability and Evidence are Horwich's solutions to various puzzles about scientific reasoning ... the book might very well still be of considerable interest to those who are looking for an engaging and readable introduction to the topic of scientific reasoning from a Bayesian perspective.' Finnur Dellsén, Metascience

Book Description

This 1982 volume diagnoses the failure of other attempts to a number of problems in the philosophy of science as stemming from a too-rigid, all-or-nothing conception of belief, and adopts instead a Bayesian strategy, emphasising the degree of confidence to which we are entitled the light of scientific evidence.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1982
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521237580
• ISBN 13: 9780521237581
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 154