Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Writing the Book of the World', 'What We Owe to Each Other' and 'Methodological Reflections on Current Linguistic Theory'

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3 ideas

14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem
Two applications of 'grue' do not guarantee a similarity between two things [Sider]
     Full Idea: The applicability of 'grue' to each of a pair of particulars does not guarantee the similarity of those particulars.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 06.2)
     A reaction: Grue is not a colour but a behaviour. If two things are 'mercurial' or 'erratic', will that ensure a similarity at any given moment?
Problem predicates in induction don't reflect the structure of nature [Sider]
     Full Idea: 'Is nonblack', 'is a nonraven', and 'grue' fail to carve at the joints.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 03.3)
     A reaction: A lot more than this needs to said, but this remark encapsulates why I find most of these paradoxes of induction uninteresting. They are all the creations of logicians, rather than of scientists.
14. Science / C. Induction / 6. Bayes's Theorem
Bayes produces weird results if the prior probabilities are bizarre [Sider]
     Full Idea: In the Bayesian approach, bizarre prior probability distributions will result in bizarre responses to evidence.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 03.3)
     A reaction: This is exactly what you find when people with weird beliefs encounter ridiculous evidence for things. It doesn't invalidate the formula, but just says rubbish in rubbish out.