106,165 research outputs found
Probability without certainty Foundationalism and the Lewis-Reichenbach debate
No full textLike many discussions on the pros and cons of epistemic foundationalism, the debate between C.I. Lewis and H. Reichenbach dealt with three concerns: the existence of basic beliefs, their nature, and the way in which beliefs are related. In this paper we concentrate on the third matter, especially on Lewis’s assertion that a probability relation must depend on something that is certain, and Reichenbach’s claim that certainty is never needed. We note that Lewis’s assertion is prima facie ambiguous, but argue that this ambiguity is only apparent if probability theory is viewed within a modal logic. Although there are empirical situations where Reichenbach is right, and others where Lewis’s reasoning seems to be more appropriate, it will become clear that Reichenbach’s stance is the generic one. This follows simply from the fact that, if P(E|G) > 0 and P(E|not-G) > 0, then P(E) > 0. We conclude that this constitutes a threat to epistemic foundationalism
Genidentity and Topology of Time: Kurt Lewin and Hans Reichenbach
No full textIn the early 1920s, Hans Reichenbach and Kurt Lewin presented two topological accounts of time that appear to be interrelated in more than one respect. Despite their different approaches, their underlying idea is that time
order is derived from specific structural properties of the world. In both works, moreover, the notion of genidentity--i.e., identity through or over time--plays a crucial role. Although it is well known that Reichenbach borrowed this notion from Kurt Lewin, not much has been written about their relationship, nor about the way Lewin implemented this notion in his own work in order to ground his topology. This paper examines these two early versions of the topology of time, and follows the extent of Lewin’s influence on Reichenbach’s proposal
Correspondence : Reichenbach (Heinrich) and Engelmann (George), 1857-1878
No full textReichenbach to Engelmann, 1857-187
Hans Reichenbach: philosopher-engineer
No full textThis thesis relates Hans Reichenbach's philosophy of science both to his historical context and to his interest in the physical world. The thesis begins with a review of his life, and notes the most significant influences on him. His early ambition to become an engineer stimulated in him an active interest in understanding physical things, and his enjoyment in disseminating what he knew entailed that he maintained a keen interest in contemporary ideas. By the age of twenty he had turned to philosophy to enhance his appreciation of science, and was influenced by Kant and the neo-Kantian interpretation through Ernst Cassirer. His subsequent work is concerned with providing philosophical explication of the major innovations of twentieth century science, and particularly of the implications of Einstein’s Theories of Relativity and of Quantum Mechanics. The thesis proceeds by summarising Kant's and Cassirer's writings on the philosophy of science before examining Einstein's theories. Subsequent chapters analyse Reichenbach's most significant publications in chronological order, namely The Theory of Relativity and A Priori Knowledge (1920), The Philosophy of Space and Time (1928), Experience and Prediction (1938),Philosophic Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (1944), and The Direction of Time (1956). The chapter on Quantum Mechanics is introduced with a summary of the scientific concepts introduced prior to Reichenbach's writing about them. Although he demonstrates the shortcomings of Kant's philosophical justification, the objective Reichenbach set himself throughout his work was to identify the principles that regulate our empirical knowledge. Despite his close friendship with Rudolf Carnap and Moritz Schlick, he differentiated his Empiricism from Logical Positivism, and he refused to accept that Conventionalism could offer a satisfactory analysis of knowledge of the objective world. The final chapter summarises the impact of his writing and his major contribution to philosophy
H. G. Reichenbach - recto
No full textBotanico: Reichenbach, Heinrich Gustav (1823-1889).
Professore di botanica e prefetto dell\u27Orto botanico di Amburgo. Esplorò botanicamente il colle di Tenda e i luoghi vicini.
Titolo manoscritto sul recto, dove compare anche la nota: R. Tod. [Raccolta Todaro].
Nota manoscritta sul verso: H. G. Reichenbach.
Montata su cartoncino 101 x 63 mm.
1 fotografia : albumina ; 88 x 55 mm.
Vai alla scheda bibliografica: https://galileodiscovery.unipd.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=39UPD_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=alma99001521428020604
The Geometry of Conventionality
No full textHans Reichenbach famously argued that the geometry of spacetime is conventional in relativity theory, in the sense that one can freely choose the spacetime metric so long as one is willing to postulate a "universal force field". Here we make precise a sense in which the field Reichenbach defines fails to be a "force". We then argue that there is an interesting and perhaps tenable sense in which geometry is conventional in classical spacetimes. We conclude with a no-go result showing that the variety of conventionalism available in classical spacetimes does not extend to relativistic spacetimes
H. G. Reichenbach - verso
No full textBotanico: Reichenbach, Heinrich Gustav (1824-1877).
Professore di botanica e prefetto dell\u27Orto botanico di Amburgo. Esplorò botanicamente il colle di Tenda e i luoghi vicini.
Titolo, data di nascita del botanico e di pubblicazione della foto (p. 1877) riportati manoscritti sul recto, dove compaiono anche le note: autogr.; Racc. Levier [Raccolta Levier] 1912.
Nota manoscritta sul verso: Rec. Chlonody[...] D. S. "lucanum Levieri" Brolatum est! [...] f. Florentiae Aug. 20. 1877 Niccolo dei capi !! (Eingb[...]) H. G. Reichenbach n. 3 Jan. 1824 Dresda + ....?
Montata su cartoncino 102 x 63 mm.
1 fotografia : albumina ; 91 x 56 mm.
Vai alla scheda bibliografica: https://galileodiscovery.unipd.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=39UPD_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=alma99001521422020604
H. G. Reichenbach - recto
No full textBotanico: Reichenbach, Heinrich Gustav (1824-1877).
Professore di botanica e prefetto dell\u27Orto botanico di Amburgo. Esplorò botanicamente il colle di Tenda e i luoghi vicini.
Titolo, data di nascita del botanico e di pubblicazione della foto (p. 1877) riportati manoscritti sul recto, dove compaiono anche le note: autogr.; Racc. Levier [Raccolta Levier] 1912.
Nota manoscritta sul verso: Rec. Chlonody[...] D. S. "lucanum Levieri" Brolatum est! [...] f. Florentiae Aug. 20. 1877 Niccolo dei capi !! (Eingb[...]) H. G. Reichenbach n. 3 Jan. 1824 Dresda + ....?
Montata su cartoncino 102 x 63 mm.
1 fotografia : albumina ; 91 x 56 mm.
Vai alla scheda bibliografica: https://galileodiscovery.unipd.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=39UPD_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=alma99001521422020604
L. H. G. Reichenbach
No full textBotanico: Reichenbach, Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig (1793-1879).
Titolo manoscritto sul recto, dove compaiono anche le note: Dresd.; R. Tod. [Raccolta Todaro].
Nota manoscritta sul verso: Reichenbach Leipzig.
Montata su cartoncino 105 x 65 mm.
1 fotografia : albumina ; 90 x 56 mm.
Vai alla scheda bibliografica: https://galileodiscovery.unipd.it/discovery/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=39UPD_INST:VU1&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=alma99001521438020604
Reichenbach’s Transcendental Probability
No full textThe aim of this article is twofold. First, we shall review and analyse the Neo-Kantian justification for the
application of probabilistic concepts in physics that was defended by Hans Reichenbach early in his career,
notably in his dissertation of 1916. At first sight this Kantian approach seems to contrast sharply with
Reichenbach’s later logical positivist, frequentist viewpoint. But, and this is our second goal, we shall
attempt to show that there is an underlying continuity in Reichenbach’s thought: typical features of his
early Kantian conceptions can still be recognized in his later work
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