Paul Bartha
Biographic Data
| ID | 1119274 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul Bartha |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul |
| FAMILY NAME | Bartha |
| SIGNATURE | BARTHA P |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of British Columbia |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9798-1447 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 34 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 13 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Unilateral Action on Climate Change and the Moral Obligation to Take Leadership
We claim that a moral obligation to take climate leadership by means of unilateral mitigation depends on the existence of a plausible follow‐the‐leader mechanism whereby unilateral mitigation by some increases the probability of sufficient mitigation by others to avert catastrophic climate impacts. By understanding these mechanisms, we can better articulate the obligation for climate leadership across various sectors, from government to individua…
Hypersensitivity and the lexical precautionary principle
Prospects for Analogue Confirmation
In analogical reasoning, observations about one or more source domains provide varying degrees of support for a conjecture about a target domain. Norton (2021) challenges the usefulness of formal models of analogical inference. Other philosophers (Dardashti et al. 2019) develop just such formal models in order to show how analogue experiments can confirm a hypothesis, even when the target domain is inaccessible. This paper defends the value of qu…
Modeling the precautionary principle with lexical utilities
Norton's material theory of analogy
Satan, Saint Peter and Saint Petersburg
By Parallel Reasoning
This book proposes a theory of analogical arguments, with special focus on analogies in mathematics and science. The core principle of the theory is that a good analogical argument must articulate a clear relationship capable of generalization. This idea leads to a set of distinct models for the critical analysis of prominent forms of analogical argument, corresponding to different logical, causal and probabilistic relationships that occur in sci…
Pascal's Wager
In Pascal's Wager, Jordan defends a version of Pascal's famous argument (1670) that it is rational to believe, or to try to induce belief, in God. Most discussions of the wager concentrate on what Jordan calls the ‘canonical’ version, according to which one should cultivate religious belief because of the possibility of an infinite reward which, even if it is discounted by allowing only a tiny probability that God exists, swamps any expectation d…
Taking Stock of Infinite Value
Countable Additivity and the de Finetti Lottery
De Finetti would claim that we can make sense of a draw in which each positive integer has equal probability of winning. This requires a uniform probability distribution over the natural numbers, violating countable additivity. Countable additivity thus appears not to be a fundamental constraint on subjective probability. It does, however, seem mandated by Dutch Book arguments similar to those that support the other axioms of the probability calc…
Probability and Symmetry
The Principle of Indifference, which dictates that we ought to assign two outcomes equal probability in the absence of known reasons to do otherwise, is vulnerable to well-known objections. Nevertheless, the appeal of the principle, and of symmetry-based assignments of equal probability, persists. We show that, relative to a given class of symmetries satisfying certain properties, we are justified in calling certain outcomes equally probable, and…
The Shooting-Room Paradox and Conditionalizing on Measurably Challenged Sets
No One Knows the Date or the Hour
Carter and Leslie (1996) have argued, using Bayes's theorem, that our being alive now supports the hypothesis of an early ‘Doomsday’. Unlike some critics (Eckhardt 1997), we accept their argument in part: given that we exist, our existence now indeed favors ‘Doom sooner’ over ‘Doom later’. The very fact of our existence, however, favors ‘Doom later’. In simple cases, a hypothetical approach to the problem of ‘old evidence’ shows that these two ef…
Countable Additivity and the de Finetti Lottery
De Finetti would claim that we can make sense of a draw in which each positive integer has equal probability of winning. This requires a uniform probability distribution over the natural numbers, violating countable additivity. Countable additivity thus appears not to be a fundamental constraint on subjective probability. It does, however, seem mandated by Dutch Book arguments similar to those that support the other axioms of the probability calc…
No One Knows the Date or the Hour
Carter and Leslie (1996) have argued, using Bayes's theorem, that our being alive now supports the hypothesis of an early ‘Doomsday’. Unlike some critics (Eckhardt 1997), we accept their argument in part: given that we exist, our existence now indeed favors ‘Doom sooner’ over ‘Doom later’. The very fact of our existence, however, favors ‘Doom later’. In simple cases, a hypothetical approach to the problem of ‘old evidence’ shows that these two ef…
The Shooting-Room Paradox and Conditionalizing on Measurably Challenged Sets
Probability and Symmetry
The Principle of Indifference, which dictates that we ought to assign two outcomes equal probability in the absence of known reasons to do otherwise, is vulnerable to well-known objections. Nevertheless, the appeal of the principle, and of symmetry-based assignments of equal probability, persists. We show that, relative to a given class of symmetries satisfying certain properties, we are justified in calling certain outcomes equally probable, and…
Taking Stock of Infinite Value
Modeling the precautionary principle with lexical utilities
Norton's material theory of analogy
Satan, Saint Peter and Saint Petersburg
Prospects for Analogue Confirmation
In analogical reasoning, observations about one or more source domains provide varying degrees of support for a conjecture about a target domain. Norton (2021) challenges the usefulness of formal models of analogical inference. Other philosophers (Dardashti et al. 2019) develop just such formal models in order to show how analogue experiments can confirm a hypothesis, even when the target domain is inaccessible. This paper defends the value of qu…
The Shooting-Room Paradox and Conditionalizing on Measurably Challenged Sets
No One Knows the Date or the Hour
Carter and Leslie (1996) have argued, using Bayes's theorem, that our being alive now supports the hypothesis of an early ‘Doomsday’. Unlike some critics (Eckhardt 1997), we accept their argument in part: given that we exist, our existence now indeed favors ‘Doom sooner’ over ‘Doom later’. The very fact of our existence, however, favors ‘Doom later’. In simple cases, a hypothetical approach to the problem of ‘old evidence’ shows that these two ef…
Probability and Symmetry
The Principle of Indifference, which dictates that we ought to assign two outcomes equal probability in the absence of known reasons to do otherwise, is vulnerable to well-known objections. Nevertheless, the appeal of the principle, and of symmetry-based assignments of equal probability, persists. We show that, relative to a given class of symmetries satisfying certain properties, we are justified in calling certain outcomes equally probable, and…
Countable Additivity and the de Finetti Lottery
De Finetti would claim that we can make sense of a draw in which each positive integer has equal probability of winning. This requires a uniform probability distribution over the natural numbers, violating countable additivity. Countable additivity thus appears not to be a fundamental constraint on subjective probability. It does, however, seem mandated by Dutch Book arguments similar to those that support the other axioms of the probability calc…
Taking Stock of Infinite Value
Pascal's Wager
In Pascal's Wager, Jordan defends a version of Pascal's famous argument (1670) that it is rational to believe, or to try to induce belief, in God. Most discussions of the wager concentrate on what Jordan calls the ‘canonical’ version, according to which one should cultivate religious belief because of the possibility of an infinite reward which, even if it is discounted by allowing only a tiny probability that God exists, swamps any expectation d…
By Parallel Reasoning
This book proposes a theory of analogical arguments, with special focus on analogies in mathematics and science. The core principle of the theory is that a good analogical argument must articulate a clear relationship capable of generalization. This idea leads to a set of distinct models for the critical analysis of prominent forms of analogical argument, corresponding to different logical, causal and probabilistic relationships that occur in sci…
Satan, Saint Peter and Saint Petersburg
Norton's material theory of analogy
Modeling the precautionary principle with lexical utilities
Prospects for Analogue Confirmation
In analogical reasoning, observations about one or more source domains provide varying degrees of support for a conjecture about a target domain. Norton (2021) challenges the usefulness of formal models of analogical inference. Other philosophers (Dardashti et al. 2019) develop just such formal models in order to show how analogue experiments can confirm a hypothesis, even when the target domain is inaccessible. This paper defends the value of qu…
Hypersensitivity and the lexical precautionary principle
Unilateral Action on Climate Change and the Moral Obligation to Take Leadership
We claim that a moral obligation to take climate leadership by means of unilateral mitigation depends on the existence of a plausible follow‐the‐leader mechanism whereby unilateral mitigation by some increases the probability of sufficient mitigation by others to avert catastrophic climate impacts. By understanding these mechanisms, we can better articulate the obligation for climate leadership across various sectors, from government to individua…
Philosophy (12 works) · Epistemology (11 works) · Computer Science (7 works) · Mathematical economics (7 works) · Mathematics (6 works) · Metaphysics (5 works) · Philosophy and History of Science (5 works) · Philosophy of language (5 works) · Philosophy of science (5 works) · Argument (complex analysis) (4 works)