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Evidential Probabilities and Credences

Authors :
Anna-Maria A. Eder
Source :
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 74:1-23
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
University of Chicago Press, 2023.

Abstract

Enjoying great popularity in decision theory, epistemology, and philosophy of science, Bayesianism as understood here is fundamentally concerned with epistemically ideal rationality. It assumes a tight connection between evidential probability and ideally rational credence, and usually interprets evidential probability in terms of such credence. Timothy Williamson challenges Bayesianism by arguing that evidential probabilities cannot be adequately interpreted as the credences of an ideal agent. From this and his assumption that evidential probabilities cannot be interpreted as the actual credences of human agents either, he concludes that no interpretation of evidential probabilities in terms of credence is adequate. I argue to the contrary. My overarching aim is to show on behalf of Bayesians how one can still interpret evidential probabilities in terms of ideally rational credence and how one can maintain a tight connection between evidential probabilities and ideally rational credence even if the former cannot be interpreted in terms of the latter. By achieving this aim I illuminate the limits and prospects of Bayesianism.

Details

ISSN :
14643537 and 00070882
Volume :
74
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........512baf38d8f28faab803503b82980cd7
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/axz043