Thinking About Statistics

Simply stated this book bridges the gap between statistics and philosophy. It does this by delineating the conceptual cores of various statistical methodologies (Bayesian/frequentist statistics model selection machine learning causal inference etc. ) and drawing out their philosophical implications. Portraying statistical inference as an epistemic endeavor to justify hypotheses about a probabilistic model of a given empirical problem the book explains the role of ontological semantic and epistemological assumptions that make such inductive inference possible. From this perspective various statistical methodologies are characterized by their epistemological nature: Bayesian statistics by internalist epistemology classical statistics by externalist epistemology model selection by pragmatist epistemology and deep learning by virtue epistemology. Another highlight of the book is its analysis of the ontological assumptions that underpin statistical reasoning such as the uniformity of nature natural kinds real patterns possible worlds causal structures etc. Moreover recent developments in deep learning indicate that machines are carving out their own ontology (representations) from data and better understanding thisâa key objective of the bookâis crucial for improving these machinesâ performance and intelligibility. Key Features Without assuming any prior knowledge of statistics discusses philosophical aspects of traditional as well as cutting-edge statistical methodologies. Draws parallels between various methods of statistics and philosophical epistemology revealing previously ignored connections between the two disciplines. Written for students researchers and professionals in a wide range of fields including philosophy biology medicine statistics and other social sciences and business. Originally published in Japanese with widespread success has been translated into English by the author. . Language: English