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Is coherence conducive to reliability?

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Abstract

A measure of coherence is said to be reliability conducive if and only if a higher degree of coherence (as measured) of a set of testimonies implies a higher probability that the witnesses are reliable. Recently, it has been proved that the Shogenji measure of coherence is reliability conducive in restricted scenarios (e.g., Olsson and Schubert, Synthese, 157:297–308, 2007). In this article, I investigate whether the Shogenji measure, or any other coherence measure, is reliability conducive in general. An impossibility theorem is proved to the effect that this is not the case. I conclude that coherence is not reliability conducive.

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  1. Philosophy Department, Lund University, Kungshuset, Lundagård, 222 22, Lund, Sweden

    Stefan Schubert

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  1. Stefan Schubert
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Correspondence to Stefan Schubert.

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Schubert, S. Is coherence conducive to reliability?. Synthese 187, 607–621 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-010-9865-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-010-9865-5

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