Reasoning with conditionals in a qualitative cognitive framework

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans Rott
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 272903199

The project investigates human reasoning with conditionals. It uses the Ramsey test analysis of conditionals and a qualitative framework for belief revision. It addresses (1) conceptions of rationality that are thinner than the one presupposed by numerical representations of belief states (allowing for incomparabilities and non-relationalities), (2) the idea of relevance in conditionals, (3) the interpretation of complex conditional constructions and (4) the feasibility of a unified treatment of indicative and subjunctive conditionals. The perspective taken is that of a logician-philosopher, but the investigation is complemented by experiments in the psychology of reasoning. The methods employed for the examination of the (in-)validity of various inference schemes involving conditionals are (i) a systematic survey and evaluation of abstract logico-philosophical arguments, (ii) a transfer of psychological findings concerning inference schemes for conditionals to the qualitative approach to conditional logic, as well as (iii) empirical tests of inference schemes characteristic of the fundamental ideas expressed within the qualitative framework. Parallels and differences with probabilistic (Bayesian) and rank-theoretic (Spohnian) approaches to conditionals are explored.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants