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Symmetry and Its Discontents

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Book cover Causation, Chance and Credence

Part of the book series: The University of Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science ((WONS,volume 41))

Abstract

The following paper consists of two parts. In the first it is argued that Bruno de Finetti’s theory of subjective probability provides a partial resolution of Hume’s problem of induction, if that problem is cast in a certain way. De Finetti’s solution depends in a crucial way, however, on a symmetry assumption — exchangeability — and in the second half of the paper the broader question of the use of symmetry arguments in probability is analyzed. The problems and difficulties that can arise are explicated through historical examples which illustrate how symmetry arguments have played a important role in probability theory throughout its development. In a concluding section the proper role of such arguments is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University, USA

    S. L. Zabell

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  1. S. L. Zabell
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA

    Brian Skyrms

  2. Talbot College, The University of Western Ontario, Canada

    William L. Harper

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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Zabell, S.L. (1988). Symmetry and Its Discontents. In: Skyrms, B., Harper, W.L. (eds) Causation, Chance and Credence. The University of Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, vol 41. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2863-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2863-3_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7788-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2863-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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