Arguing about the Evidence: a Logical Approach
Arguing about the Evidence: a Logical Approach
This chapter explores ways in which we can be equally rigorous about how to reason about and assess uncertain evidence, using a framework that allows for uncertainty but does not depend on being able to quantify it. It begins by defining what is meant by ‘evidence’ since it has somewhat different interpretations in different fields. It then attempts to develop a unified perspective. The central idea of this unification is that it is based on logic and the patterns of argumentation which are to be seen in deliberations and debates about evidence. The framework does not reject the importance of probabilistic methods for reasoning about evidence but offers a broader perspective which accommodates probabilistic methods when they are practical, and offers an alternative set of methods when they are not.
Keywords: evidence, uncertainty, argumentation, probabilistic methods, logic
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