Probability A Philosophical Introduction

"Probability: A Philosophical Introduction "presents the basic concepts of probability to philosophy students who are new to this area of the subject.

Probability plays an important part in many areas of philosophy, such as causation in metaphysics, induction in philosophy of science, and belief and justification in epistemology. This book:

* assumes no mathematical background and keeps the technicalities to a minimum

* explains the most important applications of probability theory to philosophy

* outlines the different kinds of probability and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each

* introduces and discusses key terms such as propensity, frequency, evidence and credence

D.H. Mellor presents and compares theories of probability in a simple and impartial way, making "Probability: A Philosophical" "Introduction" essential reading for any philosophy student confronted with probability for the first time.

Probability: A Philosophical Introduction introduces and explains the principal concepts and applications of probability. It is intended for philosophers and others who want to understand probability as we all apply it in our working and everyday lives. The book is not a course in mathematical probability, of which it uses only the simplest results, and avoids all needless technicality. The role of probability in modern theories of knowledge, inference, induction, causation, laws of nature, action and decision-making makes an understanding of it especially important to philosophers and students of philosophy, to whom this book will be invaluable both as a textbook and a work of reference. In this book D. H. Mellor discusses the three basic kinds of probability – physical, epistemic, and subjective – and introduces and assesses the main theories and interpretations of them. The topics and concepts covered include: * chance * frequency * possibility * propensity * credence * confirmation * Bayesianism. Probability: A Philosophical Introduction is essential reading for all philosophy students and others who encounter or need to apply ideas of probability.

Introduction and Summary; Chapter 1 Kinds of Probability; Chapter 2 Classical Probabilities; Chapter 3 Frequencies; Chapter 4 Possibilities and Propensities; Chapter 5 Credence; Chapter 6 Confirmation; Chapter 7 Conditionalisation; Chapter 8 Input Credences; Chapter 9 Questions for Bayesians; Chapter 10 Chance, Frequency and Credence; References; Index;