Rationality and Belief

This book provides a general theory of rational belief that combines the concept of rationality from the author's previous book with an account of belief varieties and their correctness. It argues that rationality comes in degrees, determined by the distance of beliefs from a corresponding probability function, and sheds light on central epistemological issues such as propositional and doxastic justification, internalism and externalism, evidence, credences, full belief, inference, suspension of judgment, possibility, and diachronic rationality.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 02 June 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This book presents a comprehensive theory of rational belief, while also serving as a sequel to the author's earlier work, "The Value of Rationality" (Oxford, 2017). While it can be read independently, it builds upon the ideas explored in that earlier book and combines them with an account of the different types of belief and the criteria for determining whether they are "correct."

According to this theory, rationality can be measured in degrees, with the degree of rationality determined by the distance between one's beliefs and a corresponding probability function. This distance is measured by the "expected degree of incorrectness" according to the probability function. The account also provides an explanation of which probability function plays this role in each specific case and why it should do so.

In developing and defending this account, new light is shed on several central epistemological issues. These issues include the distinction between propositional and doxastic justification, the debates between internalism and externalism, and foundationalism and coherentism. The significance of evidence is also examined, as well as the relationship between credences, full belief, inference, and suspension of judgment. The nature of the possibility presupposed by the relevant sort of probability is explored, as well as whether rationality is "diachronic" – that is, whether the beliefs that it is rational for us to hold now depend, in part, on the beliefs that we held in the past.

Finally, some suggestions are made about how this theory can be applied to a range of further topics, such as the defeasibility of inference, skepticism, and the analysis of knowledge.

Overall, this book offers a rich and insightful exploration of rational belief and its relationship to other epistemological concepts, providing a valuable contribution to the field of epistemology.

Weight: 620g
Dimension: 240 x 162 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198874492