A Study on the Methodological Problems Concerning the Inductive-Statistical Explanation
| Project/Area Number |
03610007
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Philosophy
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| Research Institution | Kansai University |
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Principal Investigator |
TAKEO Jiichiro Kansai University・Faculty of Letters・Professor, 文学部, 教授 (00067448)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1991 – 1993
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1993)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1993: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1992: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1991: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
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| Keywords | Explanation / Statistical explanation / Statistical relevance / Statistical correlation / Causality / Probabilistic causality / 経験的確率 / 因果関係 / 科学的説明 / 演繹主義 / 因果的説明 / 語用論 / ローカルな説明 / 客観的確率 / 非決定論 / 認識的説明概念 / 演繹的説明 / 決定論 / 確率論的解釈 |
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| Research Abstract |
We investigated the methodological problems related to the theory of inductive-statistical explanation, which originates in the prominent work of C.G.Hempel, in veiw of the novel developments starting in 1970's. First, we made clear how it is that we are discontented with Hempel's theory : For him the consideration of the statistical relevance is in effect beside the quenstion even in giving an acount of the statistical explanation. A statistical explanation is never causal, according to him. In contract to this, we take a view that what awaits a causal explanation is actually found among phenomena which are solely statistically interpreted. In this interpretation a causal relation would be supported by there being the statistical evidence among correlated data. This, our research was conducted in the direction of clarifying the following : In what way a statistical relevance accurrately represents causality in the objective world, since a mere statistical correlation would not do beyond providing the basis of explanation ; and how the concept of causality is connected with that of probability, since our whole research would operate on the shift of the view of causality from the deterministic to the prbabilistic interpretation. For this end, we first showed a model of statistical relevance, which makes the basis for carrying on our study. We then tried to show that there being statistical relevance will produce evidence to the credibility of there being causality in the world. Heavily relied on the theory of W.Salmon, as well as numerous examples of relevance, our research leaves the question open whether the existence of causal relations, which is to be inferred solely on the basis of statistical relevance, is in fact not presupposed.
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Report
(4 results)
Research Products
(6 results)
