Lecture 5 Flashcards
What is inference in the context of evidence?
Inference involves drawing conclusions from available information.
The role of a critic is to determine which inferences are justified based on the evidence.
What determines a safe inference?
Safe inferences are those conclusions that are logically supported by available evidence.
How do critics assess inferences?
Critics evaluate inferences based on evidence strength and logical connections.
They consider alternative explanations and potential biases.
What is “Jumping to Conclusions”?
Jumping to conclusions occurs when assuming something to be true without sufficient evidence.
It’s tempting to jump to conclusions, especially if there’s prejudice involved.
Example: Assuming a restaurant is bad after a few negative experiences without considering other factors.
Why use “safe” and “unsafe” for inferences?
Safe” and “unsafe” describe inferences based on the quality of reasoning.
Unsafe inferences can have serious consequences, like an innocent person being convicted.
Regardless of consequences, it’s vital to avoid inferring too much without proper evidence.
What do explanations do?
Explanations clarify why something is as it is or how it happened.
They differ from arguments, which provide reasons to believe something new.
Evaluating explanations involves assessing plausibility, scope, simplicity, and comparing them.
Example of an explanation?
Seawater is salty because minerals from rocks dissolve in river water, which then flows into the sea.
Despite river water not tasting salty, its dissolution over rocks makes seawater salty.
How do we judge between alternative explanations?
Numerous explanations may exist for a situation or outcome.
The goal is to find the best explanation.
Two useful tests for evaluating explanations:
1.Scope: How much does it explain?
2.Simplicity: Is it the simplest explanation possible?
What is the scope test for judging explanations?
The scope test evaluates how extensively an explanation can account for various aspects of a situation or outcome.
A better explanation often has broader applicability and can cover more aspects of the phenomenon.
What is the simplicity test for judging explanations?
The simplicity test assesses whether an explanation is the simplest one possible.
A simpler explanation is often preferred over complex ones, provided it adequately accounts for the observed phenomenon.
Simplicity helps in avoiding unnecessary complexities and assumptions.
