Leitung: Prof. Dr. Mark Siebel
       Beteiligt: Jakob Koscholke, 
                     Michael Schippers
       Institution: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
       
       Abstract
       Although coherence plays a significant role in human rationality, it is often neglected in theories of rational belief change, the main
       reason being the absence of both precise and widely accepted models of coherence. To overcome this deficit, the objective of our project
       is to develop and test probabilistic, a.k.a. Bayesian, measures of coherence and positive relevance (since coherence in a pivotal sense
       is mutual positive relevance). The project goes beyond the scope of the previous discussion insofar as, firstly, it results in a
       comprehensive comparison of the pros and cons of all relevant measures. Secondly, we go into conceptual differentiations largely ignored
       in the literature, including not only different notions of coherence—mutual positive relevance, relative overlap, striking agreement
       —but also diverse kinds of positive relevance—confirmation, justification, explanation, information transmission—, where confirmation
       covers notions such as plausibility increase, high plausibility and generalisation of deductive entailment. In due consideration of these
       distinctions, existing measures will be re-evaluated and new measures developed. Thirdly, we do not only scrutinise the adequacy of the
       given measures by thought experiments, and in doing so allow for "noise", i.e., probability ranges instead of point values, but also turn
       towards empirical tests. Fourthly, as regards confirmation, work in the Bayesian camp will be related to qualitative approaches in the vein
       of hypothetico-deductivism and ways of constructing a unified approach will be explored.
       
       Projektrelevante Veröffentlichungen
       Schippers, M., & Siebel, M. (2015). Inconsistency as a Touchstone
       for Coherence Measures.  Theoria. Revista de Teoría, Historia y Fundamentos de la Ciencia, 30(1), 11-41.
       
       Schippers, M. (2014). 
       Probabilistic measures of coherence: from adequacy constraints towards pluralism.  Synthese, 191(16), 3821-3845. 
              
              Weitere Publikationen sind auf dieser Seite zu finden.
       
              Bezug zur zweiten Förderperiode des SPP1516
              Dieses Projekt wird in der zweiten Förderperiode fortgesetzt.
              Zur Projektseite...