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Full Idea
A coherence problem is a set of elements connected by positive and negative restraints, and a solution consists of partitioning the elements into two sets (accepted and rejected) in a way that maximises satisfaction of the constraints.
Gist of Idea
Coherence problems have positive and negative restraints; solutions maximise constraint satisfaction
Source
Paul Thagard (Coherence: The Price is Right [2012], p.42)
Book Ref
-: 'Southern Journal of Philosophy' [-], p.42
A Reaction
I'm enthusiastic about this, as it begins to clarify the central activity of epistemology, which is the quest for best explanations.
17596 | Coherence problems have positive and negative restraints; solutions maximise constraint satisfaction [Thagard] |
17597 | Coherence is explanatory, deductive, conceptual, analogical, perceptual, and deliberative [Thagard] |
17598 | Explanatory coherence needs symmetry,explanation,analogy,data priority, contradiction,competition,acceptance [Thagard] |
17600 | Bayesian inference is forced to rely on approximations [Thagard] |
17599 | The best theory has the highest subjective (Bayesian) probability? [Thagard] |
17602 | Verisimilitude comes from including more phenomena, and revealing what underlies [Thagard] |
17601 | Neither a priori rationalism nor sense data empiricism account for scientific knowledge [Thagard] |
17064 | 1: Coherence is a symmetrical relation between two propositions [Thagard, by Smart] |
17065 | 2: An explanation must wholly cohere internally, and with the new fact [Thagard, by Smart] |
17066 | 3: If an analogous pair explain another analogous pair, then they all cohere [Thagard, by Smart] |
17067 | 4: For coherence, observation reports have a degree of intrinsic acceptability [Thagard, by Smart] |
17068 | 5: Contradictory propositions incohere [Thagard, by Smart] |
17069 | 6: A proposition's acceptability depends on its coherence with a system [Thagard, by Smart] |