BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME;VALUE=TEXT:Colloquium Lecture: Katie Elliott (Brandeis University), "The Principal Principle: What is it? Who cares?"
PRODID:-//Harvard events data//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:event_1890096_0
SUMMARY:Colloquium Lecture: Katie Elliott (Brandeis University), "The Principal Principle: What is it? Who cares?"
DESCRIPTION:<p><em>Abstract:</em> The “Principal Principle” is David Lewis’s attempt to characterize the epistemic role of objective chance.&nbsp; Despite being my very favorite topic in philosophy, the principle is no longer frequently discussed.&nbsp; One problem is that key terms in the principle are left undefined.&nbsp; Another is that the principle is framed inside of a Bayesian approach to epistemology that should be more controversial than the principle itself.&nbsp; Perhaps worst of all, the principle invokes a notorious metaphysical posit—chance—which many philosophers still hope to be able to do without.&nbsp; Even Lewis eventually gave up on the Principal Principle, partly thanks to work on the “New Principle” by Edward Hall.&nbsp;</p><p>My own view is that the Principal Principle is motivated by a deep and important insight into the epistemology of empirical reasoning.&nbsp; The goal of my talk is to say what that insight is and why it’s important, but without mentioning any weird stuff like “probabilities” or “chances” until necessary.&nbsp;</p>
LOCATION:Emerson Hall 305
STATUS:CONFIRMED
DTSTART:20260327T190000Z
DTEND:20260327T210000Z
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR