Probability and Conditionals Belief Revision and Rational Decision

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 which sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities. There are also positive ideas and results which will open up new areas of research. The collection is intended to honour Ernest W. Adams, whose seminal work is largely responsible for creating this area of inquiry. As well as describing, evaluating, and applying Adams’ work the contributions extend his ideas in directions he may or may not have anticipated, but that he certainly inspired. In addition to a wide range of philosophers of science, the volume should interest computer scientists and linguists.

This collection of essays is on the relation between probabilities, especially conditional probabilities, and conditionals. It provides negative results which sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities. There are also positive ideas and results which will open up areas of research. The collection is intended to honour 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 or may not have anticipated, but that he certainly inspired. In addition to a wide range of philosophers of science, the volume should interest computer scientists and linguists.

List of contributors; Introduction; 1. Some questions about Adams' conditionals Patrick Suppes; 2. Adams conditionals Brian Skyrms; 3. Letter to Brian Skyrms Robert Stalnaker; 4. Conditionals as random variables Robert Stalnaker and Richard Jeffrey; 5. From Adams' conditionals to default expressions, causal conditionals, and counterfactuals Judea Pearl; 6. The hypothesis of the conditional construal of conditional probability Alan Hájek and Ned Hall; 7. Triviality on the cheap? Alan Hájek; 8. Back in the CCCP Ned Hall; 9. The Howson-Urbach proofs of Bayesian principles Charles S. Chihara; 10. Learning the impossible Vann McGee; 11. A brief survey of Adams' contributions to philosophy Patrick Suppes; Publications of Ernest W. Adams.

This collection of essays is on the relation between probabilities, especially conditional probabilities, and conditionals. It provides negative results which sharply limit the ways conditionals can be related to conditional probabilities.