Hume's Problem Solved

Name: Hume's Problem Solved
Price: 130 AUD
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ISBN: 9780262039727

The Optimality of Meta-Induction

Gerhard Schurz (Director, DCLPS, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf)

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Hardback

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English

MIT Press
07 May 2019

Philosophy: epistemology & theory of knowledge

Series: The MIT Press

A new approach to Hume's problem of induction that justifies the optimality of induction at the level of meta-induction.

Hume's problem of justifying induction has been among epistemology's greatest challenges for centuries. In this book, Gerhard Schurz proposes a new approach to Hume's problem. Acknowledging the force of Hume's arguments against the possibility of a noncircular justification of the reliability of induction, Schurz demonstrates instead the possibility of a noncircular justification of the optimality of induction, or, more precisely, of meta-induction (the application of induction to competing prediction models). Drawing on discoveries in computational learning theory, Schurz demonstrates that a regret-based learning strategy, attractivity-weighted meta-induction, is predictively optimal in all possible worlds among all prediction methods accessible to the epistemic agent. Moreover, the a priori justification of meta-induction generates a noncircular a posteriori justification of object induction. Taken together, these two results provide a noncircular solution to Hume's problem.

Schurz discusses the philosophical debate on the problem of induction, addressing all major attempts at a solution to Hume's problem and describing their shortcomings; presents a series of theorems, accompanied by a description of computer simulations illustrating the content of these theorems (with proofs presented in a mathematical appendix); and defends, refines, and applies core insights regarding the optimality of meta-induction, explaining applications in neighboring disciplines including forecasting sciences, cognitive science, social epistemology, and generalized evolution theory. Finally, Schurz generalizes the method of optimality-based justification to a new strategy of justification in epistemology, arguing that optimality justifications can avoid the problems of justificatory circularity and regress.

By: Gerhard Schurz (Director DCLPS Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf)
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 27mm
ISBN: 9780262039727
ISBN 10: 0262039729
Series: The MIT Press
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 07 May 2019
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Gerhard Schurz is Director of the D sseldorf Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science at Heinrich Heine University D sseldorf.