Logic: Probability and Inductive reasoning

Question 1

What is meant by an inductive inference?

Answer 1

Extrapolating from a sample to a population. It is a necessary step from the specific to the general.

Question 2

What is meant by a deductive inference?

Answer 2

A deductive inference is going from the general to the specific.

Question 3

What are the three forms of inductive inferences?

Answer 3

1. Statistical syllogism
   From the general to the specific. This makes use of statistics.
2. Inductive generalisation
   From the specific to the general. This is making generalisations.
3. Inductive analogy
   From the specific to the specific.

Question 4

What is required for a generalisation to be appropriate?

Answer 4

the sample has to be representative

Question 5

What has to be satisfied in order for analogies to be appropriate?

Answer 5

Quantity– the more similarities the better

The relevance – the more relevant the similarities and differences the better

The weight – the weight of each similarity and difference are important.

Question 6

What is meant by abduction?

Answer 6

Abduction is making an inference to the best explanation

Question 7

Name the five relevant elements to abductive arguments

Answer 7

The predictive power, the scope, the coherence with established facts, the simplicity and the fruitfulness.

Question 8

What is meant by objective probability and subjective probability?

Answer 8

Objective probability is about the state of the world while subjective probability is about beliefs about the state of the world.

Question 9

What is meant by the degree of rational expectation?

Answer 9

the degree to which a person is entitled to believe something given the evidence.

Question 10

What are the four steps to avoid base rate neglect?

Answer 10

1. Write down the formula
2. Write down the base rate
3. Make a table with the information you have
4. Make a tree diagram

Question 11

What is the formula for conditional probabilities?

Answer 11

𝑃(𝐴|𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐴 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵)\

𝑃(𝐵)

Question 12

What is meant by implicit relativity?

Answer 12

Where a sentence makes a comparison with some set of things, but the set of things with which the comparison is made is not explicitly stated.

Question 13

What is a dysjunctive syllogism?

Answer 13

An argument of the form
p or q
Not p Therefore q

Question 14

What is meant by argument commentary?

Answer 14

A commentary which justifies the reconstruction of an argument, and gives an assessment of the argument´s validity, force and soundness.