Greetings all, This coming Monday, Nov 17 in the philosophy common room, 1.00-2.30 Jossi Berkovitz, the Centre for Time, will be giving a paper "The Propensity Interpretation of Probability: A Re-evaluation."
Abstract Probability is virtually ubiquitous. It is universal in science and many believe that it should be the very guide for life. While there is a broad consensus concerning the axiomatic theory of probability, its interpretation continues to be a controversial matter. Interpretations of probability can be divided into two categories. Subjective or epistemic interpretations, where probability reflects knowledge or ignorance; and objective interpretations, where probability reflect objective properties of the world. The propensity interpretations are among the main objective interpretations of probability. In the single-case propensity interpretation, probability denotes a propensity to yield events/states in a single case, and in the long-run propensity interpretation probability denotes a propensity to manifest a relative, long-run frequency of events/states of the same type. In the literature, there have been various objections to propensity interpretations – e.g. that it is at odd with the probability calculus, that propensities are metaphysical and unobservable, and that the relationship between propensities and long-run frequencies is ill defined. In this paper, I consider objections and argue that they are largely unjustified. See you all there.... Dr. Kristie Miller Australian Research Council Post-doctoral Fellow School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry and The Centre for Time The University of Sydney Sydney, Australia Room 411, A18 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ph: (work) 02 9036 9663 Ph: (mobile) 0432 275 286 http://homepage.mac.com/centre.for.time/KristieMiller/Kristie/Home%20Page.html _______________________________________________ SydPhil mailing list [email protected] List Info: http://lists.arts.usyd.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/sydphil NEW LIST ARCHIVE: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
