The Normative Force of Logical and Probabilistic Reasoning in Improving Beliefs.

There is a deep tension between logical and probabilistic norms of belief. This article illustrates the normative force that is associated with these frameworks by showing how rather unrestricted belief bases can be improved by undergoing logical and probabilistic reflection. It is argued that proba...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theoria: A Swedish Journal of Philosophy Vol. 85; no. 6; pp. 435 - 459
Main Author: Strössner, Corina
Format: Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Dec2019
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=140955572&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: hlh
    uiTerm: 140955572
    longDbName: Humanities International Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        00405825
        HL0
      jtl: Theoria: A Swedish Journal of Philosophy
      issn: 00405825
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Dec2019
      vid: 85
      iid: 6
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
    artinfo:
      ui:
        140955572
        10.1111/theo.12214
      ppf: 435
      ppct: 24
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
              size: 247KB
      tig:
        atl: The Normative Force of Logical and Probabilistic Reasoning in Improving Beliefs.
      aug:
        au: Strössner, Corina
        affil: Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
      su:
        Theory of knowledge
        Axioms
        Probability theory
        Conjunctions (Grammar)
        Language & languages
      sug:
        subj:
          Theory of knowledge
          Axioms
          Probability theory
          Conjunctions (Grammar)
          Language & languages
      keyword:
        commitment
        deductive closure
        lottery paradox
        preface paradox
        probabilistic reasoning
        uncertainty
      ab: There is a deep tension between logical and probabilistic norms of belief. This article illustrates the normative force that is associated with these frameworks by showing how rather unrestricted belief bases can be improved by undergoing logical and probabilistic reflection. It is argued that probabilistic reasoning accounts for the reliability of the conclusions one can draw from the beliefs. Most importantly, reliability commands us to care for the increasing uncertainty of conjunctions of beliefs. Deductive logic captures the agent's commitment towards all conclusions of her beliefs. In other words, it seems that commitment forces the agent to believe conclusions, which reliability tells her to view with scepticism. This conflict is resolved by arguing that commitment merely forces the agent to find the logical conclusions of her beliefs acceptable, not necessarily to believe them. This demands consistency but no deductive closure. Furthermore, it is shown that by restoring consistency, a straightforward connection between high subjective probability and full belief is undermined. Finally, the article delineates how this approach deals with the lottery paradox and the preface paradox.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: Y
      custom: Copyright of Theoria: A Swedish Journal of Philosophy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
      item: Theoria: A Swedish Journal of Philosophy
      holder: Wiley-Blackwell
      dt:
        @attributes:
          year: 2019
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N