Inference and rational commitment

Trafford, James (2013) Inference and rational commitment. Prolegomena Journal of Philosophy, 12 (1). pp. 5-20. ISSN 1333-4395/1846-0593

Creators:
Trafford, James
Description/Abstract:

This peer-reviewed paper intervenes in debates relating to overarching themes that impact upon mass media studies, communication theory and theories of cognition more generally. In particular, the paper discusses issues involving how our ordinary psychological thinking relates to norms of rationality (and how these latter are conceived). In essence, I argue against a dominant approach taken by Christopher Peacocke, that rationality can be grounded in the possession of certain concepts.

The article makes a new contribution to the field by arguing against the dominant approach on two grounds: (a) it fails to distinguish between true and false normative commitments; (b) it is empirically unsound. In response, I briefly offer suggestions towards an alternative, and psychologically tractable, account of rational commitment.

Presentations of earlier drafts of the paper were given at a seminar at the Centre for Study of Mind and Nature, Oslo, as well as the conference of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology.

Item Type:
Article
Official URL:
http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/153383
Date:
June 2013
Uncontrolled Keywords or tags :
inference, Peacocke, rationality, thought
Schools:
School of Communications
Related URLs:
Depositing User:
Elizabeth Baxter
Date Deposited:
19 Jun 2013 09:50
Last Modified:
05 Mar 2022 04:31
Trafford, James:
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6762-2918
URI:
https://research.uca.ac.uk/id/eprint/1544

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