PhilSci Archive

Reliability via Synthetic A Priori – Reichenbach’s Doctoral Thesis on Probability

Eberhardt, Frederick (2006) Reliability via Synthetic A Priori – Reichenbach’s Doctoral Thesis on Probability. In: UNSPECIFIED.

[img] Microsoft Word (.doc)
Reichenbach.doc

Download (77kB)

Abstract

Reichenbach is well known for his limiting frequency view of probability, with his most thorough account given in The Theory of Probability in 1935/49. Perhaps less known are Reichenbach's early views on probability and its epistemology. In his doctoral thesis from 1915, Reichenbach espouses a Kantian view of probability, where the convergence limit of an empirical frequency distribution is guaranteed to exist thanks to the synthetic a priori principle of lawful distribution. Reichenbach claims to have given a purely objective account of probability, while integrating the concept into a more general philosophical and epistemological framework. I will give a brief synopsis of his thesis and an analysis of his argument. Many of Reichenbach’s major developments in probability already surface – albeit in sometimes quite different form – in this early piece of work.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Eberhardt, Frederick
Keywords: foundations of probability, causality, induction
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Depositing User: Dr Frederick Eberhardt
Date Deposited: 03 Mar 2007
Last Modified: 07 Oct 2010 15:14
Item ID: 3211
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Date: 2006
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/3211

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item