Schick

Surprise, self-knowledge, and commonality

Frederic Schick

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Keywords: Surprise examination, Incredibility, Prediction of choices, Skepticism, Prisoner's dilemma, Common belief, Mutual belief, Categorical imperative.

Abstract: I begin with an analysis of the surprise examination paradox (enlarging on Quine's treatment). The student should conclude, not that there won't be a surprise examination, but that he cannot properly believe that there will be one. I extend the logic of this analysis to a number of other issues, to the predictability of one's own future choices, to certain arguments about prisoners' dilemmas and about common-belief assumptions in game theory. The logic of incredibility (of what can't be logically believed by you, even though other people can believe it) has an analogue regarding desires: you cannot logically want certain propositions to be true of yourself. This leads to some reflections on Kant's Categorical Imperative.

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Frederic Schick
URutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Spinning Ideas, Electronic Essays
Dedicated to Peter Gärdenfors on His Fiftieth Birthday


	Surprise, self-knowledge, and commonality
	Frederic Schick
	[Back to paper list] [Start page] [Alphabetical index]
	Keywords: Surprise examination, Incredibility, Prediction of choices, Skepticism, Prisoner's dilemma, Common belief, Mutual belief, Categorical imperative.
	Abstract: I begin with an analysis of the surprise examination paradox (enlarging on Quine's treatment). The student should conclude, not that there won't be a surprise examination, but that he cannot properly believe that there will be one. I extend the logic of this analysis to a number of other issues, to the predictability of one's own future choices, to certain arguments about prisoners' dilemmas and about common-belief assumptions in game theory. The logic of incredibility (of what can't be logically believed by you, even though other people can believe it) has an analogue regarding desires: you cannot logically want certain propositions to be true of yourself. This leads to some reflections on Kant's Categorical Imperative.

	Click here to obtain the paper in PDF format.
	Frederic Schick URutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Spinning Ideas, Electronic Essays Dedicated to Peter Gärdenfors on His Fiftieth Birthday