The new Tweety puzzle: arguments against monistic Bayesian approaches in epistemology and cognitive science.

In this paper we discuss the new Tweety puzzle. The original Tweety puzzle was addressed by approaches in non-monotonic logic, which aim to adequately represent the Tweety case, namely that Tweety is a penguin and, thus, an exceptional bird, which cannot fly, although in general birds can fly. The n...

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Publicado en:Synthese Vol. 190; no. 8; pp. 1407 - 1436
Autores principales: Unterhuber, Matthias, Schurz, Gerhard
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature May2013
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: The new Tweety puzzle: arguments against monistic Bayesian approaches in epistemology and cognitive science.
      aug:
        au:
          Unterhuber, Matthias
          Schurz, Gerhard
        affil: Department of Philosophy, University of Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf Germany
      su:
        Theory of knowledge
        Bayes' theorem
        Probability theory
        Probabilism
        Cognitive science
      sug:
        subj:
          Theory of knowledge
          Bayes' theorem
          Probability theory
          Probabilism
          Cognitive science
      keyword:
        Bayesian rationality
        Conditional inference
        Frequency
        Monistic Bayesianism
        MP-MT asymmetry
        New Tweety puzzle
        Oaksford and Chater
        Objective Bayesianism
        Probability
      ab: In this paper we discuss the new Tweety puzzle. The original Tweety puzzle was addressed by approaches in non-monotonic logic, which aim to adequately represent the Tweety case, namely that Tweety is a penguin and, thus, an exceptional bird, which cannot fly, although in general birds can fly. The new Tweety puzzle is intended as a challenge for probabilistic theories of epistemic states. In the first part of the paper we argue against monistic Bayesians, who assume that epistemic states can at any given time be adequately described by a single subjective probability function. We show that monistic Bayesians cannot provide an adequate solution to the new Tweety puzzle, because this requires one to refer to a frequency-based probability function. We conclude that monistic Bayesianism cannot be a fully adequate theory of epistemic states. In the second part we describe an empirical study, which provides support for the thesis that monistic Bayesianism is also inadequate as a descriptive theory of cognitive states. In the final part of the paper we criticize Bayesian approaches in cognitive science, insofar as their monistic tendency cannot adequately address the new Tweety puzzle. We, further, argue against monistic Bayesianism in cognitive science by means of a case study. In this case study we show that Oaksford and Chater's (, ) model of conditional inference-contrary to the authors' theoretical position-has to refer also to a frequency-based probability function.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
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      src: R
    language: English
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