EBOOK Laws of Belief:Ranking Theory and Its Philosophical Applications

Wolfgang Spohn presents the first full account of the dynamic laws of belief, by        means of ranking theory. This book is his long-awaited presentation of ranking        theory and its ramifications. He motivates and introduces the basic notion of a        ranking function, which recognises degrees of belief and at the same time accounts        for belief simpliciter. He provides a measurement theory for ranking functions,        accounts for auto-epistemology in ranking-theoretic terms, and explicates the        basicnotion of a (deductive or non-deductive) reason. The rich philosophical        applications of Spohn's theory include: a new account of lawlikeness, an account of        ceteris paribus laws, a new perspective on dispositions, a rich and detailed theory        of deterministic causation, an understanding of naturalmodalities as an        objectification of epistemic modalities, an account of the experiential basis of        belief--and thus a restructuring of the debate on foundationalism and coherentism        (and externalism and contextualism)--and, finally, a revival of fundamental a priori        principles of reason fathoming the basics of empiricism and the relation between        reason and truth, and concluding in a proof of a weak principle of causality. All        this is accompanied by thorough comparative discussions, on a generallevel as well        as within each topic, and in particular with respect to probability theory.