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Single Idea 19306

[filed under theme 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 1. On Reason ]

Full Idea

I am assuming the following principle: Clutter Avoidance - in reasoning, one should not clutter one's mind with trivialities.

Gist of Idea

It is a principle of reasoning not to clutter your mind with trivialities

Source

Gilbert Harman (Change in View: Principles of Reasoning [1986], 2)

Book Ref

Harman,Gilbert: 'Change in View: Principles of Reasoning' [MIP 1986], p.12


A Reaction

I like Harman's interest in the psychology of reasoning. In the world of Frege, it is taboo to talk about psychology.


The 10 ideas from 'Change in View: Principles of Reasoning'

The rules of reasoning are not the rules of logic [Harman]
Implication just accumulates conclusions, but inference may also revise our views [Harman]
The Gambler's Fallacy (ten blacks, so red is due) overemphasises the early part of a sequence [Harman]
We strongly desire to believe what is true, even though logic does not require it [Harman]
If there is a great cost to avoiding inconsistency, we learn to reason our way around it [Harman]
Logic has little relevance to reasoning, except when logical conclusions are immediate [Harman]
It is a principle of reasoning not to clutter your mind with trivialities [Harman]
High probability premises need not imply high probability conclusions [Harman]
In revision of belief, we need to keep track of justifications for foundations, but not for coherence [Harman]
Coherence is intelligible connections, especially one element explaining another [Harman]