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Full Idea
Mathematics is the model for reasoning about necessary truths, but jurisprudence must be our model when we deliberate about contingencies.
Clarification
'Jurisprudence' studies the relationship between law and morality
Gist of Idea
Follow maths for necessary truths, and jurisprudence for contingent truths
Source
Ian Hacking (The Emergence of Probability [1975], Ch.10)
Book Ref
Hacking,Ian: 'The Emergence of Probability' [CUP 1975], p.86
A Reaction
Interesting. Certainly huge thinking, especially since the Romans, has gone into the law, and creating rules of evidence. Maybe all philosophers should study law and mathematics?
| 7447 | Probability was fully explained between 1654 and 1812 [Hacking] |
| 7448 | Probability is statistical (behaviour of chance devices) or epistemological (belief based on evidence) [Hacking] |
| 7459 | Follow maths for necessary truths, and jurisprudence for contingent truths [Hacking] |
| 7449 | Epistemological probability based either on logical implications or coherent judgments [Hacking] |
| 7450 | In the medieval view, only deduction counted as true evidence [Hacking] |
| 7451 | Formerly evidence came from people; the new idea was that things provided evidence [Hacking] |
| 7452 | An experiment is a test, or an adventure, or a diagnosis, or a dissection [Hacking, by PG] |
| 7454 | Gassendi is the first great empiricist philosopher [Hacking] |