Here are the details for the next USyd Postgrad Work in Progress talk: Speaker: Edward Elliott
Title: Representation Theorems and the Characterisation of Credences Representation theorems—either those that take us from a ranking on propositions to a unique probability function, or those that allow for the representation of a total preference state by a probability and utility pair—have historically been taken to be of some kind of importance for the foundations of decision theory. One tradition, beginning with Frank Ramsey, through de Finetti, Savage, and others, holds that representation theorems are useful in descriptively characterising what it is to have such-and-such degrees of belief. A closely related tradition seeks to use these theorems in the service of arguments for probabilism, a normative thesis about our degrees of belief. Meacham & Weisberg (AJP, 2011) argue that these theorems can play no such foundational role (in either a descriptive or a normative capacity), and that their importance to decision theory is minimal at best. This paper is a defence of the importance of representation theorems. I argue that while there are very good reasons to reject many simplistic positions in the vicinity, there are views that fall within the Ramseyean tradition not touched by the arguments of Meacham & Weisberg. In this paper, I focus specifically on their arguments against the the descriptive thesis, that representation theorems play an important role in characterising our actual degrees of belief. Time: 4:30pm, Mon Sep 16 Location: S401, Main Quad, University of Sydney Hope to see you all there, Simon Varey Postgraduate Colloquium Co-ordinator
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