1923 – 2006
L. Jonathan Cohen (1923–2006) was a British analytic philosopher at Oxford University known for his work in logic, philosophy of science, and the theory of inductive reasoning. He made significant contributions to the analysis of probability, legal reasoning, and the philosophy of mind, challenging dominant Bayesian accounts of rational belief.
Developed a non-Bayesian, Baconian account of inductive probability in 'The Probable and the Provable' (1977)
Distinguished between belief and acceptance as distinct epistemic attitudes
Applied formal logical analysis to legal evidence and proof
Critiqued the use of mathematical probability in jurisprudence
Contributed to the philosophy of science through work on inductive logic and confirmation theory