Probability and Conditionals: Belief Revision and Rational Decision (Cambridge Studies in Probability, Induction and Decision Theory)

This is a collection of essays on the relation between probabilities--especially conditional probabilities--and conditionals. It provides new negative results that sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities. There are also positive ideas and results that will open up new areas of research. The collection is intended to honor Ernest W. Adams, whose seminal work is largely responsible for creating this area of inquiry. As well as describing, evaluating, and applying Adams's work, the contributions extend his ideas in directions he may not have anticipated, but that he certainly inspired.

This is a state-of-the-art collection of essays on the relation between probabilities, especially conditional probabilities, and conditionals. It provides new negative results that sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities. There are also positive ideas and results that will open up new areas of research. The collection is intended to honor Ernest W. Adams, whose seminal work is largely responsible for creating this area of inquiry. In addition to describing, evaluating, and applying Adams's work, these contributions extend his ideas in directions he may or may not have anticipated, but that he certainly inspired. This volume should be of interest to a wide range of philosophers of science, as well as to computer scientists and linguists.