Many thanks, Bruce. Historical background always provides enlightenment. So now then, does Sherlock induce or deduce? Ron Sheen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce D. Despain" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 3:04 AM Subject: Re: Not so elementary, my dear Watson.Re: Inductive - Deductive:was New discussion intelligence and grammar learning > Ron, > > This extract from my introduction to grammar on the role of hypothesis may > be helpful: > > Induction. The 17th Century philosopher, Francis Bacon, extended the > set of acceptable tools of rational thought when he pointed out how > investigators infer a scientific theory from the observed facts whenever > they generalize. Generalization is the logical process of induction from a > number of specific instances. Suppose scientists make the "same" > observation a number of times. After so many observations they feel they > are entitled to conclude (with some degree of certainty) that they are > observing the effects of some general principle. (This kind of induction > is distinct from what mathematicians know as induction. These people > define mathematical induction with statements about numbers that make it > for them in actuality an extension of deduction.) Bacon maintained that > support for facts could come by both deduction and induction. > > > Logical induction vs. deduction. In the mid-18th Century David Hume, > clearly demonstrated the fact that Bacon's brand of logical induction > cannot strictly qualify as a mode of reasoning. In order to establish > induction on a basis as secure as deduction, philosophers are obliged to > accept the validity of the conclusion (the general principle) to the same > extent as the assumption. Only then would they be able to infer the > conclusion with the same certainty as the assumptions. > > > Inference. Inference by induction is a way of connecting > experience - of making sense out of a collection of observations. The > general principle that the investigator induces is the result of numerous > confirmations of a hypothesis with failure to disconfirm it. It was Karl > Popper, who in modern times was responsible for the rejection of induction > as a mode of reasoning (Popper, 1972). Popper emphasized strongly that > induction is actually quite the equivalent of hypothesis and experiment. > Bruce > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ronald Sheen" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 9:49 AM > Subject: Not so elementary, my dear Watson.Re: Inductive - Deductive:was > New discussion intelligence and grammar learning > > >> Johanna's example of Holmes deducing something or other illustrates how >> tricky the pair of words is. On the one hand, he brings together a set >> of facts and induces therefrom a conclusion as in 'I see, my dear fellow, >> from your rough hands, your rasping cough, your wheezing and the coal >> dust in your eyes that you are a miner.' On the other hand, stretching >> it a bit, I suppose one could say that Holmes has a set of rules of thumb >> such as 'rough hands come from manual work' and 'a rasping cough and >> wheezing' is a symptom of miners. He then applies them to the facts >> before his eyes and ears and draws together the conclusions from which he >> induces...Then again, maybe he deduces... >> >> This is probably why in applied linguistics the terms 'implicit' and >> 'explicit' have replaced the troublesome pair. >> >> Ron Sheen >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >> >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >> >> > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/