The Laws of Belief

Wolfgang Spohn studied philosophy, logic/philosophy of science, and mathematics at the University of Munich. He has held positions at the University of Regensburg (1986-91) and the University of Bielefeld (1991-96), and has held a chair in philosophy and philosophy of science at the University of Konstanz since 1996. He is author of three books and over eighty papers, and editor of the journal Erkenntnis.

In The Law of Belief, Wolfgang Spohn develops ranking theory in detail and applies it to a host of philosophical problems. The book has an extraordinary sweep, taking in many areas of metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of science and even the philosophy of language. ... it is an extraordinary synthesis of decades of research and ... represents an important contribution to formal epistemology.

• Preface ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Belief and Its Objects ; 3. The Probabilistic Way ; 4. The Representation of Belief: Some Standard Moves ; 5. Ranking Functions ; 6. Reasons and Apriority ; 7. Conditional Independence and Ranking Nets ; 8. The Measurement of Ranks ; 9. Supposing, Updating, and Reflection ; 10. Ranks and Probabilities ; 11. Comparisons ; 12. Laws and Their Confirmation ; 13. Ceteris Paribus Conditions and Dispositions ; 14. Causation ; 15. Objectification ; 16. Justification, Perception, and Consciousness ; 17. The A Priori Structure of Reasons ; Bibliography ; Name Index ; Subject Index