PY4675 Philosophy of Probability

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Module coordinator

Dr M S J Bowen

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Miriam Bowen

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

In this module we will cover some of the main interpretaxtions of probability: objective probability/ chances, evidential probabilities, and degrees of belief/ credences. In the first part of the module, we’ll discuss these different interpretations of probability and how they might be developed. In the second part of the module we’ll focus on the notion of probability as degrees of belief, looking at different arguments for why degrees of belief should be understood as probabilities and considering arguments for probablism (the thesis that a rational agent’s degrees of belief should satisfy the probability axioms).

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS PY1012

Assessment pattern

Coursework - 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework - 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2 hour lecture per week, 1 hour tutorial per week

Scheduled learning hours

30

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

259

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • give arguments for and against objective interpretations of probability.
  • understand different interpretations of subjective probability (degrees of belief).
  • assess different arguments about the role of subjective probability in theories of rationality.
  • use different interpretations of subjective probability to understand different approaches to decision making.
  • draw out philosophical lessons about technical results in formal epistemology.