A Chance for Possibility

A Chance for Possibility
Author: Alexander Steinberg
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2013-10-30
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 3110338238

A Chance for Possibility defends the view that the objective modal realm is tripartite: truths about possible worlds supervene on modal truths, which in turn supervene on truths about objective chances. An understanding of supervenience in terms of grounding is developed which — unlike the standard modal characterization — allows the question of what modal truths supervene on to have a non-trivial answer. Relying on this understanding, a negative result is established: modal truths do not supervene on truths about possible worlds, whether possible worlds are conceived of as Lewisian concreta or as abstract objects of some kind. Instead, a conception of pleonastic possible worlds is developed that reverses the direction of supervenience. On the basis of linguistic considerations concerning our use of natural language ‘might’ and ‘might have’ sentences, Steinberg finally argues that truths about objective chances are able to provide a supervenience base for modal truths. A Chance for Possibility is an investigation in analytic metaphysics, drawing on related work in the philosophy of logic and language as well as linguistics. It provides a detailed case study for the fruitful use of a notion of grounding in the clarification and evaluation of longstanding philosophical issues.

A Philosophical Guide to Chance

A Philosophical Guide to Chance
Author: Toby Handfield
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2012-04-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1107080010

It is a commonplace that scientific inquiry makes extensive use of probabilities, many of which seem to be objective chances, describing features of reality that are independent of our minds. Such chances appear to have a number of paradoxical or puzzling features: they appear to be mind-independent facts, but they are intimately connected with rational psychology; they display a temporal asymmetry, but they are supposed to be grounded in physical laws that are time-symmetric; and chances are used to explain and predict frequencies of events, although they cannot be reduced to those frequencies. This book offers an accessible and non-technical introduction to these and other puzzles. Toby Handfield engages with traditional metaphysics and philosophy of science, drawing upon recent work in the foundations of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics to provide a novel account of objective probability that is empirically informed without requiring specialist scientific knowledge.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 618
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Foundations of Probability Theory, Statistical Inference, and Statistical Theories of Science

Foundations of Probability Theory, Statistical Inference, and Statistical Theories of Science
Author: W.L. Harper
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9401014388

In May of 1973 we organized an international research colloquium on foundations of probability, statistics, and statistical theories of science at the University of Western Ontario. During the past four decades there have been striking formal advances in our understanding of logic, semantics and algebraic structure in probabilistic and statistical theories. These advances, which include the development of the relations between semantics and metamathematics, between logics and algebras and the algebraic-geometrical foundations of statistical theories (especially in the sciences), have led to striking new insights into the formal and conceptual structure of probability and statistical theory and their scientific applications in the form of scientific theory. The foundations of statistics are in a state of profound conflict. Fisher's objections to some aspects of Neyman-Pearson statistics have long been well known. More recently the emergence of Bayesian statistics as a radical alternative to standard views has made the conflict especially acute. In recent years the response of many practising statisticians to the conflict has been an eclectic approach to statistical inference. Many good statisticians have developed a kind of wisdom which enables them to know which problems are most appropriately handled by each of the methods available. The search for principles which would explain why each of the methods works where it does and fails where it does offers a fruitful approach to the controversy over foundations.

Exploring Probability in School

Exploring Probability in School
Author: Graham A. Jones
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 394
Release: 2006-03-30
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0387245308

Exploring Probability in School provides a new perspective into research on the teaching and learning of probability. It creates this perspective by recognizing and analysing the special challenges faced by teachers and learners in contemporary classrooms where probability has recently become a mainstream part of the curriculum from early childhood through high school. The authors of the book discuss the nature of probability, look at the meaning of probabilistic literacy, and examine student access to powerful ideas in probability during the elementary, middle, and high school years. Moreover, they assemble and analyse research-based pedagogical knowledge for teachers that can enhance the learning of probability throughout these school years. With the book’s rich application of probability research to classroom practice, it will not only be essential reading for researchers and graduate students involved in probability education; it will also capture the interest of educational policy makers, curriculum personnel, teacher educators, and teachers.

Truth, Possibility and Probability

Truth, Possibility and Probability
Author: R. Chuaqui
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 505
Release: 1991-06-20
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0080872778

Anyone involved in the philosophy of science is naturally drawn into the study of the foundations of probability. Different interpretations of probability, based on competing philosophical ideas, lead to different statistical techniques, and frequently to mutually contradictory consequences.This unique book presents a new interpretation of probability, rooted in the traditional interpretation that was current in the 17th and 18th centuries. Mathematical models are constructed based on this interpretation, and statistical inference and decision theory are applied, including some examples in artificial intelligence, solving the main foundational problems. Nonstandard analysis is extensively developed for the construction of the models and in some of the proofs. Many nonstandard theorems are proved, some of them new, in particular, a representation theorem that asserts that any stochastic process can be approximated by a process defined over a space with equiprobable outcomes.

Humean Laws for Humean Agents

Humean Laws for Humean Agents
Author: Kluver
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 301
Release: 2023-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0192893815

Humean Laws for Human Agents presents cutting-edge research by leading experts on the Humean account of laws, chance, possibility, and necessity. A central question in metaphysics and philosophy of science is: What are laws of nature? Humeans hold that laws are not sui generis metaphysical entities but merely particularly effective summaries of what actually happens. The most discussed recent work on Humeanism emphasizes the laws' usefulness for limited agents and uses pragmatic considerations to address fundamental and long-standing problems. The current volume develops and critically examines pragmatic Humean accounts, with innovative new work on the epistemology of laws and chance, the problem of induction, counterfactuals, special science laws, and a Humean account of essence. Taken together, the papers provide a roadmap for developing pragmatic Humeanism and connate views, setting the agenda for future research.

Statistics in Nutrition and Dietetics

Statistics in Nutrition and Dietetics
Author: Michael Nelson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 395
Release: 2020-01-10
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1118930630

Statistics in Nutrition and Dietetics is a clear and accessible volume introducing the basic concepts of the scientific method, statistical analysis, and research in the context of the increasingly evidence-based field of nutrition and dietetics. Focusing on quantitative analysis and drawing on short, practical exercises and real-world examples, this reader-friendly textbook helps students understand samples, principles of measurement, confidence intervals, the theoretical basis and practical application of statistical tests, and more. Includes numerous examples and exercises that demonstrate how to compute the relevant outcome measures for a variety of tests, both by hand and using SPSS Provides access to online resources, including analysis-ready data sets, flow charts, further readings and a range of instructor materials such as PowerPoint slides and lecture notes Ideal for demystifying statistical analysis for undergraduate and postgraduate students

Probability

Probability
Author: D. H. Mellor
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2005
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 9780415282505

This work presents the basic concepts of probability to philosophy students who are new to this area of the subject.