Deterministic Chance
Noûs 45 (2):269-299 (2011)
| Abstract | I sketch a new constraint on chance, which connects chance ascriptions closely with ascriptions of ability, and more specifically with ‘can’-claims. This connection between chance and ability has some claim to be a platitude; moreover, it exposes the debate over deterministic chance to the extensive literature on (in)compatibilism about free will. The upshot is that a prima facie case for the tenability of deterministic chance can be made. But the main thrust of the paper is to draw attention to the connection between the truth conditions of sentences involving ‘can’ and ‘chance’, and argue for the context sensitivity of each term. Awareness of this context sensitivity has consequences for the evaluation of particular philosophical arguments for (in)compatibilism when they are presented in particular contexts | |||||||||
| Keywords | chance determinism context sensitivity ability modality relative modality probability | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,653 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesJenann Ismael (2003). How to Combine Chance and Determinism: Thinking About the Future in an Everett Universe. Philosophy of Science 70 (4):776-790.
Pascal Massie (2003). The Irony of Chance. International Philosophical Quarterly 43 (1):15-28.
Carl Hoefer (2007). The Third Way on Objective Probability: A Sceptic's Guide to Objective Chance. Mind 116 (463):549-596.
Roberta L. Millstein (2000). Chance and Macroevolution. Philosophy of Science 67 (4):603-624.
Jonathan Schaffer (2003). Principled Chances. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 54 (1):27-41.
B. Loewer (2001). Determinism and Chance. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B 32 (4):609-620.
Aidan Lyon (2010). Deterministic Probability: Neither Chance nor Credence. Synthese 182 (3):413-432.
Antony Eagle, Chance Versus Randomness. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Toby Handfield (2012). A Philosophical Guide to Chance: Physical Probability. Cambridge University Press.
Jonathan Schaffer (2007). Deterministic Chance? British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 58 (2):113 - 140.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-06-26Total downloads125 ( #3,840 of 548,984 )Recent downloads (6 months)6 ( #12,292 of 548,984 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
