Probability and Conditionals
Belief Revision and Rational Decision

Essays on the state of research investigating the relationship between conditionals and conditional probabilities.

Ellery Eells (Edited by), Brian Skyrms (Edited by)

9780521453592, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 November 1994

218 pages, 8 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.49 kg

"...nicely edited by Ellery Eells and Brian Skyrms." Roy Gardner, Philosophy of Science

This collection of essays is on the relation between probabilities, especially conditional probabilities, and conditionals. It provides negative results which sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities. There are also positive ideas and results which will open up areas of research. The collection is intended to honour Ernest W. Adams, whose seminal work is largely responsible for creating this area of inquiry. As well as describing, evaluating, and applying Adams's work the contributions extend his ideas in directions he may or may not have anticipated, but that he certainly inspired. In addition to a wide range of philosophers of science, the volume should interest computer scientists and linguists.

List of contributors
Introduction
1. Some questions about Adams' conditionals Patrick Suppes
2. Adams conditionals Brian Skyrms
3. Letter to Brian Skyrms Robert Stalnaker
4. Conditionals as random variables Robert Stalnaker and Richard Jeffrey
5. From Adams' conditionals to default expressions, causal conditionals, and counterfactuals Judea Pearl
6. The hypothesis of the conditional construal of conditional probability Alan Hájek and Ned Hall
7. Triviality on the cheap? Alan Hájek
8. Back in the CCCP Ned Hall
9. The Howson-Urbach proofs of Bayesian principles Charles S. Chihara
10. Learning the impossible Vann McGee
11. A brief survey of Adams' contributions to philosophy Patrick Suppes
Publications of Ernest W. Adams.

Subject Areas: Philosophy: logic [HPL]