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35A Basis for AGM Revision in Bayesian Probability RevisionJournal of Philosophical Logic 52 (6): 1535-1559. 2023.In standard Bayesian probability revision, the adoption of full beliefs (propositions with probability 1) is irreversible. Once an agent has full belief in a proposition, no subsequent revision can remove that belief. This is an unrealistic feature, and it also makes probability revision incompatible with belief change theory, which focuses on how the set of full beliefs is modified through both additions and retractions. This problem in probability theory can be solved in a model that (i) lets …Read more
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20Iterated AGM Revision Based on Probability RevisionJournal of Logic, Language and Information 32 (4): 657-675. 2023.Close connections between probability theory and the theory of belief change emerge if the codomain of probability functions is extended from the real-valued interval [0, 1] to a hyperreal interval with the same limits. Full beliefs are identified as propositions with a probability at most infinitesimally smaller than 1. Full beliefs can then be given up, and changes in the set of full beliefs follow a pattern very close to that of AGM revision. In this contribution, iterated revision is investi…Read more
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13The ethics of nudgeIn Till Grüne-Yanoff & Sven Ove Hansson (eds.), Preference Change: Approaches From Philosophy, Economics and Psychology, Springer. pp. 207-219. 2009.In their recently published book Nudge (2008) Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein (T&S) defend a position labelled as ‘libertarian paternalism’. Their thinking appeals to both the right and the left of the political spectrum, as evidenced by the bedfellows they keep on either side of the Atlantic. In the US, they have advised Barack Obama, while, in the UK, they were welcomed with open arms by the David Cameron's camp (Chakrabortty 2008). I will consider the following questions. What is Nudge…Read more
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FormalizationIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 3-59. 2012.This introduction to formal philosophy has its focus on the basic methodology of formalization: the selection of concepts for formalization, appropriate splittings and merges of concepts to be formalized, the idealization that is necessary prior to formalization, the identification of variables and their domains, and the construction of a formal language. Other topics covered in this chapter are the advantages and pitfalls of formal philosophy, the relationships between formal models and that wh…Read more
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7Belief ChangeIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 401-415. 2012.All formal models of belief change involve choices between different ways to accommodate new information. However, the models differ in their loci of choice, i.e. in what formal entities the choice mechanism is applied to. Four models of belief change with different loci of choice are investigated in terms of how they satisfy a set of important properties of belief contraction and revision. It is concluded that the locus of epistemic choice has a large impact on the properties of the resulting b…Read more
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5Representing UncertaintyIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 387-400. 2012.Our uncertainty about matters of fact can often be adequately represented by probabilities, but there are also cases in which we, intuitively speaking, know too little even to assign meaningful probabilities. In many of these cases, other formal representations can be used to capture some of the prominent features of our uncertainty. This is a non-technical overview of some of these representations, including probability intervals, belief functions, fuzzy sets, credal sets, weighted credal sets,…Read more
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2CoherenceIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 443-453. 2012.We encounter the notion of coherence in many branches of philosophy. This overview introduces some basic distinctions that can be used to characterize concepts of coherence. After that, two formal frameworks for the analysis of coherence are introduced. The first of these is based on the logic of support relations. It is used to show that coherentism and foundationalism may be combinable rather than antithetical. The second framework assumes that coherence comes in degrees and that it can be mea…Read more
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4Formal Investigations of ValueIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 499-522. 2012.We can express values in three major ways: in terms of classification, comparison, and quantity. The interrelations among these three types of value expressions are surveyed, with a particular emphasis on relations of interdefinability. Furthermore, interrelations between value terms and terms expressing norms or choices are explored. Several of these connections have been surprisingly little studied, and further investigations may possibly lead to the discovery of additional connections among t…Read more
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10Preference and ChoiceIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 535-548. 2012.Preferences and choices have central roles in moral philosophy, economics, and the decision sciences in general. In a formal language we can express and explore the properties of preferences, choices, and their interrelations in a precise way, and uncover connections that are inaccessible without formal tools. In this chapter, the plausibility of different such properties is discussed, and it is shown how close attention to the logical details can help dissolve some apparent paradoxes in informa…Read more
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3Money-PumpsIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 567-576. 2012.A money-pump is a thought experiment involving a person whose preferences form a circle. Repeatedly, she pays some money to go from one alternative to another that she likes better. When she has paid her way around the full circle she is back at the starting-point, but with less money. Money-pumps have been used to show that certain preference patterns are irrational since they make a person exploitable. Formal tools can be used to analyze money-pumps in a precise manner, distinguish between dif…Read more
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2Deontic LogicIn Sven Ove Hansson & Vincent F. Hendricks (eds.), Introduction to Formal Philosophy, Springer. pp. 577-589. 2012.Deontic logic is the logic of normative concepts such as obligation, permission, and prohibition. This non-technical overview of the area has a strong emphasis on the connections between deontic logic and problems discussed in moral philosophy. Major issues treated are the distinction between ought-to-be and ought-to-do, the various meanings of permissive expressions, the logical relations among norms, the paradoxes of deontic logic, and the nature of moral conflicts and moral dilemmas. It is co…Read more
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13Mild Contraction. Evaluating Loss of Information Due to Loss of Belief (review)Studia Logica 82 (2): 293-295. 2006.
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26The ethics of risk: ethical analysis in an uncertain worldPalgrave-Macmillan. 2013.When is it morally acceptable to expose others to risk? Most moral philosophers have had very little to say in answer to that question, but here is a moral philosopher who puts it at the centre of his investigations.
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19Arguments Against Vision Zero : A Literature ReviewIn K. Edvardsson Björnberg, MÅ Belin, S. O. Hansson & C. Tingvall (eds.), The Vision Zero Handbook, . pp. 1-44. 2022.Despite Vision Zero’s moral appeal and its expansion throughout the world, it has been criticized on different grounds. This chapter is based on an extensive literature search for criticism of Vision Zero, using the bibliographic databases Philosopher’s Index, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Phil Papers, and by following the references in the collected documents. Even if the primary emphasis was on Vision Zero in road traffic, our search also included document…Read more
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12Anthroposophical Climate Science DenialCritical Research on Religion 10 (3): 281-297. 2022.Climate science denial has a perhaps surprisingly strong standing in anthroposophy. Anthroposophical deniers of climate science usually do not contest the existence of global warming, but they ascribe it to “cosmic” processes that are largely described in astrological terms. Thoroughly refuted claims that ongoing global warming depends on variations in solar activity have been adopted by anthroposophists. This article proposes three major explanations for the persistence of climate science denia…Read more
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737How to define: a tutorialPrincípios 13 (19): 05-30. 2006.Practical methods are introduced for the construction of definitions, both for philosophical purposes and for uses in other disciplines. The structural and contentual requirements on definitions are clarified. It is emphasized that the development of a definition should begin with careful choice of a primary definiendum, followed by the selection of appropriate variables for the definition. Two methods are proposed for the construction of the definiens, the case list method and the method of suc…Read more
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12Philosophical conversationsTheoria 88 (5): 883-886. 2022.Theoria, Volume 88, Issue 5, Page 883-886, October 2022.
Areas of Specialization
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Areas of Interest
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