10 Questions
What type of hypothesis is formed in enumerative induction 1?
Law-like hypothesis
In enumerative induction 2, what type of hypothesis is derived?
Statistical hypothesis
What is the purpose of enumerating premises in enumerative induction?
To make a general conclusion
Which statement best describes the role of premises in enumerative induction?
Support a generalized conclusion
What distinguishes enumerative induction from other types of reasoning?
Use of verifiable premises
Which type of hypothesis is more common in enumerative induction?
Statistical hypothesis
Why is it important for the premises in enumerative induction to be verifiable?
To confirm the general conclusion
Which factor contributes most to the strength of an argument in enumerative induction?
Number of premises presented
What does Enumerative Induction 2 involve that Enumerative Induction 1 does not?
Generalized Statistical Hypothesis Conclusion
Which aspect is critical to a successful application of Enumerative Induction?
Verifying Each Premise Adequately
Study Notes
Inductive Reasoning
- Inductive arguments provide some reasons or evidence to believe the conclusion will be probably true, but not certain.
- The premises do not prove or guarantee the truth of the conclusion, and there is no logical relationship between the premises and the conclusion.
- The meaning of the content or information provided matters in confirming the degree of likelihood of truth of the conclusion based on the strength of evidence presented.
Characteristics of Inductive Reasoning
- The more evidence you have that corroborates the conclusion, the higher the degree of confirmation.
- Confirmation is not proof.
- Inductive arguments can be based on sampling, analogy, causal reasoning, or enumerative induction.
Examples of Inductive Arguments
- Law-like hypothesis: All metals expand when heated, based on premises that show multiple metals expanding when heated.
- Statistical hypothesis: Most women are cheats, based on premises that show multiple women cheating.
Confirmation vs. Proof
- Inductive arguments aim at confirming a given hypothesis, while deductive arguments aim at proving a given conclusion.
- The evidence of an inductive argument only confirms but does not prove the truth of the hypothesis.
- Confirmation is not proof, and a hypothesis is the same as the conclusion of inductive arguments.
Verifiable vs. Confirmable Statements
- Verifiable statements are premises that can be confirmed or proven true.
- Confirmable statements are hypotheses or conclusions that can be supported or confirmed by evidence.
Enumerative Induction
- Enumerative induction involves listing or enumerating multiple premises to support a generalized conclusion or hypothesis.
- There are two kinds of enumerative induction:
- Enumerative induction with a law-like hypothesis as conclusion.
- Enumerative induction with a statistical hypothesis as conclusion.
Test your knowledge on inductive reasoning principles, verifiable statements, and enumerative induction in the sciences and everyday life. Explore different types of inductive reasoning and their applications.
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