Knowledge and Inquiry: Essays on the Pragmatism of Isaac Levi (Cambridge Studies in Probability, Induction and Decision Theory)

Isaac Levi has explored the principles of American pragmatism in greater depth and more consistency than others before him. The result is a sophisticated and powerful philosophical system whose key elements stand in stark opposition not only to mainstream epistemology, but also to the positions of other contemporary authors writing in the same pragmatist tradition. The essays in this volume, written by some of philosophy's finest scholars, contribute substantially to the understanding and appraisal of Levi's work. Included in this volume are Levi's extensive and provocative replies to his critics, which offer access to his thinking on a wide range of topics. The introduction provides a concise, systematic presentation of the cornerstone of Levi's pragmatism. Suitable for students and scholars who are interested in American pragmatism in general and Isaac Levi's work in particular, this book is an ideal companion to Levi's own writings. Isaac Levi And His Pragmatist Lineage / Cheryl Misak -- Is Pragmatist Truth Irrelevant To Inquiry? / Andre Fuhrmann -- The Knowledge Business / Philip Kitcher -- Infallibility And Incorrigibility / Bengt Hansson -- Why Inconsistency Is Not Hell : Making Room For Inconsistency In Science / Otavio Bueno -- Levi On Risk / Nils-eric Sahlin -- Vexed Convexity / Henry E. Kyburg -- Levi's Chances / H. Mellor -- Isaac Levi's Potentially Surprising Epistemological Picture / Wolfgang Spohn -- Isaac Levi On Abduction / Maurice Pagnucco -- Potential Answers To What Question? / Erik J. Olsson -- Levi And The Lottery / Erik J. Olsson -- The Value Of Truth And The Value Of Information : On Isaac Levi's Epistemology / Hans Rott -- Decision-theoretic Contraction And Sequential Change / Horacio Arlo Costa -- Deciding What You Know / Mark Kaplan -- Levi's Ideals / Sven Ove Hansson -- The Mind We Do Not Change / Wolfram Hinzen -- Psychoanalysis As Technology / Akeel Bilgrami -- Levi On Money Pumps And Diachronic Dutch Books / Wlodek Rabinowicz -- Levi On The Reality Of Dispositions / Johannes Persson -- Replies / Isaac Levi. Edited By Erik Olsson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Brain damage can cause memory to break down in a number of different ways, the analysis of which can illuminate how the intact brain mediates memory processes. After first considering the problems involved in assessing memory, this book provisionally advances a taxonomy of elementary memory disorders and, for each in turn, reviews both the specific processes that are disrupted and the lesions responsible for the disruption. These disorders include short-term memory deficits, deficits in previously well-established memory, memory decifits caused by frontal lobe lesions, the organic amnesias, the disorders of conditioning and skill acquisition. Particular attention is paid to the organic amnesias, about which we know the most, and to the contributions of animal models to our knowledge. Andrew Mayes argues that the memory deficits found in several neurological and psychiatric syndromes comprise co-occurring elementary memory disorders. Finally, he outlines the implications of his taxonomy for our understanding of normal memory. A wide audience of researchers and students will find Human Organic Memory Disorders a helpful guide to a complex problem area

Isaac Levi, currently John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, has explored the principles of American pragmatism in greater depth and more consistency than others before him. The result is a sophisticated and powerful philosophical system whose key elements stand in stark opposition not only to current mainstream epistemology, but also to the positions of other contemporary authors writing in the same pragmatist tradition. The essays in this timely volume, written by some of philosophy's finest scholars, contribute substantially to the understanding and appraisal of Levi's work.