Reason and Inquiry: The Erotetic Theory

by Philipp Koralus

Overview

Reason and Inquiry: The Erotetic Theory presents a unified theory of the human capacity for reasoning and decision-making. The erotetic theory accounts for a diverse range of empirically documented fallacies and framing effects. It shows how the same mental processes that yield fallacies can yield what logicians call first-order validity and probabilistic coherence in reasoning, as well as rational decision-making as conceived by economists.

The book's central idea is that our minds naturally aim at resolving issues, and if we are sufficiently inquisitive in the process, we can avoid mistakes. The erotetic theory holds that both the successes and the failures of reason are due to this aim. Rationality is secured if we reach what is described by the theory as erotetic equilibrium.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198823766
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/29/2023
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Philipp Koralus, Fulford Clarendon Associate Professor in Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science, University of Oxford

Philipp Koralus is Fulford Clarendon Associate Professor in Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St. Catherine's College. He has previously held Fellowships at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Notre Dame.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Core reasoning and erotetic equilibrium3. Conditionals and information source selection4. Predicate reasoning, Philipp Koralus, Vincent Wang, Sean Moss, and Beau Mount5. Reasoning with uncertainty, Philipp Koralus and Sean Moss6. Decision and practical reasoning, Philipp Koralus and Sean MossAppendix A: Formulas and DefinitionsAppendix B: Meta-theoryReferences

Editorial Reviews

"An insightful treatment of reason and rationality, explaining many puzzles and integrating many viewpoints." — Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University—author of How the Mind Works and Rationality

"Reason and Inquiry is a major contribution to the philosophy of mind, the psychology of reasoning, and cognitive science, with implications for linguistics, epistemology, and decision theory. The erotetic theory looks set to be a key player in future debates on the nature of rationality." — Timothy Williamson, Wykeham Professor of Logic, University of Oxford—author of Knowledge and its Limits and Suppose and Tell

"It is easy for researchers in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to get excited with our technical achievements and lose track of the big questions: what is intelligence, and how does it work? This thought provoking and wide-ranging book prompts us to look again at our field: to revisit the most basic questions surrounding our endeavour, and, perhaps most importantly, to consider new directions for the future." — Michael Wooldridge, Programme Co-Director for Artificial Intelligence at The Alan Turing Institute, Professor of Computer Science, University of Oxford—author of The Road to Conscious Machines

From the Publisher