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A hyperintensional criterion of irrelevance

Stephan Krämer

pp. 2917-2930

Abstract

On one important notion of irrelevance, evidence that is irrelevant in an inquiry may rationally be discarded, and attempts to obtain evidence amount to a waste of resources if they are directed at irrelevant evidence. The familiar Bayesian criterion of irrelevance, whatever its merits, is not adequate with respect to this notion. I show that a modification of the criterion due to Ken Gemes, though a significant improvement, still has highly implausible consequences. To make progress, I argue, we need to adopt a hyperintensional conception of content. I go on to formulate a better, hyperintensional criterion of irrelevance, drawing heavily on the framework of the truthmaker conception of propositions as recently developed by Kit Fine.

Publication details

Published in:

Kruse Andrea, Wansing Heinrich (2017) Doxastic agency and epistemic responsibility. Synthese 194 (8).

Pages: 2917-2930

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-016-1078-0

Full citation:

Krämer Stephan (2017) „A hyperintensional criterion of irrelevance“. Synthese 194 (8), 2917–2930.