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Born-1936
Born on February 18, 1936 in Vancouver, British Columbia where he spent his early life. He attended the University of British Columbia, in which he earned a BA in Mathematics and Physics. He then went to Cambridge in England where he earned a MA and Ph. D. in Moral Sciences. -
Logic of Statistical Inference
His early contribution to philosophy was that he explored the basic principles surrounding statistical reasoning. He tested them both philosophically and practically demonstrating the consequences for statisticians. -
The Emergence of Probability
This is where Hacking identifies that with mathematics of randomness and chance the result could be probability. -
The Looping Effect
Hacking states that human kinds are separate from natural kinds. The example he uses is that within mental disorders, he states that they are human kinds, which incur subtle changes in behavior once they are classified. This is different from a natural kind which wouldn't be affected by it's classification. -
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The Taming of Chance
He argues that determinism which is that every human action is intentional and replaces it with a theory of genuine chance. He supports his theory with statistical research. -
Recognition & Contributions
First Anglophone to be given permanent chair at College de France-2000
Killam Prize for the Humanities- 2002
Companion of the Order of Canada- 2004
Holberg International Memorial Prize- 2009
Austrian Decoration for Science and Art- 2012
Balzan Prize- 2014
*Major Contributions- Ian Hacking was known for applying a historical approach to the philosophy of science. He broke down traditional boundaries between sciences and the humanities. He also documented the development of probability. -
References
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290942593_The_missing_self_in_hacking's_looping_effects
http://www.andreasaltelli.eu/file/repository/_Ideas_in_Context_Ian_Hacking_The_Taming_of_Chance_Cambridge_University_Press_2002_.pdf
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ian-hacking
https://informationphilosopher.com/solutions/philosophers/hacking/ -
Legacy
