Bayes or Bust?

There is currently no viable alternative to the Bayesian analysis of scientific inference, yet the available versions of Bayesianism fail to do justice to several aspects of the testing and confirmation of scientific hypotheses. "Bayes or Bust?" provides the first balanced treatment of the complex set of issues involved in this nagging conundrum in the philosophy of science. Both Bayesians and anti-Bayesians will find a wealth of new insights on topics ranging from Bayes's original paper to contemporary formal learning theory. In a paper published posthumously in 1763, the Reverend Thomas Bayes made a seminal contribution to the understanding of "analogical or inductive reasoning". Building on his insights, modern Bayesians have developed an account of scientifc inference that has attracted numerous champions as well as numerous detractors. Earman argues that Bayesianism provides the best hope for a comprehensive and unified account of scientific inference, yet the presently available versions of Bayesianism fail to do justice to several aspects of the testing and confirming of scientific theories and hypotheses. By focusing on the need for a resolution to this impasse, Earman sharpens the issues on which a resolution turns.

ISBN 0262050463   Pages 288 ISBN13 9780262050463 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher MIT Press Ltd   Weight (grammes) 522 Imprint MIT Press   Published in Cambridge, Mass. Format Hardback   Series title Bradford Books (Hardcover) Publication date 02 Jul 1992   Height (mm) 229 Non-book description xiv, 272 p. :   Width (mm) 236 Library of Congress Q175.E23 1   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY 519.54   Academic level Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC20

Bayes' Bayesianism; the machinery of modern Bayesianism; success stories; challenges met; the problem of old evidence; the rationality and objectivity of scientific inference; a plea for eliminative induction; normal science, scientific revolutions, and all that - Thomas Bayes versus Thomas Kuhn; Bayesianism versus formal-learning theory; a dialogue.

"John Earman's "Bayes or Bust?" is a fine analysis of many issues facing modern theoretical statistics and the enterprise of confirmation theory. It brings together technical results with great accuracy and appropriateness and will undoubtedly become a standard work among philosophers of science." --Clark Glymour, Carnegie Mellon University

 Be the first to write a customer review