Philosophy of Language Research Seminar: Luca Moretti on Scepticism, metaphysical possibilities and fuzzy probabilities

prof. Luca Moretti (Aberdeen University - NIP) will give a talk.

• Speaker: Luca Moretti
• Venue: Sala rossa, via Azzo Gardino 23, Bologna
• Title:Scepticism, metaphysical possibilities and fuzzy probabilities
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Abstract

In this paper I focus on a key argument for scepticism about the external world resting on the underdetermination thesis according to which we cannot know any proposition about our physical environment because any empirical evidence for it equally supports any incompatible sceptical alternative (e.g. the Cartesian demon conjecture). I contend that the underdetermination argument can go through only if the controversial thesis that conceivability (or an analogous faculty a priori) is a guide to metaphysical possibility is true. I provide a formalized version of my argument that exploits Keynes’ distinction between uncertainty and risk, and uses of a formal model of learning based on imprecise probabilities.