In this Book
- The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability before Pascal
- Book
- 2015
- Published by: Johns Hopkins University Press
summary
How did we make reliable predictions before Pascal and Fermat's discovery of the mathematics of probability in 1654? What methods in law, science, commerce, philosophy, and logic helped us to get at the truth in cases where certainty was not attainable? In The Science of Conjecture, James Franklin examines how judges, witch inquisitors, and juries evaluated evidence; how scientists weighed reasons for and against scientific theories; and how merchants counted shipwrecks to determine insurance rates.The Science of Conjecture provides a history of rational methods of dealing with uncertainty and explores the coming to consciousness of the human understanding of risk.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright Page
- pp. i-iv
- Preface to the 2015 Edition
- pp. ix-xvi
- 1. The Ancient Law of Proof
- pp. 1-11
- 3. Renaissance Law
- pp. 40-63
- 5. Rhetoric, Logic, Theory
- pp. 102-130
- 6. Hard Science
- pp. 131-161
- 7. Soft Science and History
- pp. 162-194
- 8. Philosophy: Action and Induction
- pp. 195-227
- 9. Religion: Laws of God, Laws of Nature
- pp. 228-257
- 12. Conclusion
- pp. 321-361
Additional Information
ISBN
9781421418810
Related ISBN(s)
9780801865695, 9780801871092, 9781421418803
MARC Record
OCLC
912012281
Pages
520
Launched on MUSE
2015-06-28
Language
English
Open Access
No