E.T. Jaynes's Solution to the Problem of Countable Additivity.

Philosophers cannot agree on whether the rule of Countable Additivity should be an axiom of probability. Edwin T. Jaynes attacks the problem in a way which is original to him and passed over in the current debate about the principle: he says the debate only arises because of an erroneous use of math...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Erkenntnis Vol. 87; no. 1; pp. 287 - 309
Autor principal: Elliot, Colin
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Feb2022
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Philosophers cannot agree on whether the rule of Countable Additivity should be an axiom of probability. Edwin T. Jaynes attacks the problem in a way which is original to him and passed over in the current debate about the principle: he says the debate only arises because of an erroneous use of mathematical infinity. I argue that this solution fails, but I construct a different argument which, I argue, salvages the spirit of the more general point Jaynes makes. I argue that in Jaynes's objective Bayesianism we might have good reasons to adopt Countable Additivity, and some of the major problems this adoption is known to entail need not worry us. In particular, I propose to adopt this new angle on Countable Additivity in Jon Williamson's version of objective Bayesianism.