WEEK 4

Question 1

inductive inference

Answer 1

inferences where the supposed truth of the premises fails to guarantee the truth of the conclusion

Question 2

What are the types of inferences?

Answer 2

1. deductive
2. inductive
3. abductive (if narrowly construed)

Question 3

What are the advantages of induction?

Answer 3

facilitate the production of new content (ampliative, content-increasing, non-demonstrative)

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of induction?

Answer 4

• risky
• absence of truth-preservation

Question 5

Why is induction non-monotonic?

Answer 5

inductively strong argument may cease to have this quality once premises are added to it

Question 6

multiple instantiation in inductive reasoning

Answer 6

token inductive inference may contain one or more types of induction

Question 7

abduction (aka inference to the best explanation)

Answer 7

• Form of induction
• Explanatory factors guide inference
• Prefers hypothesis that gives best explanation for available evidence

Question 8

What are the properties of abduction?

Answer 8

• has Various strengths like induction
• Content-increasing
• Risky (but less risky than induction)
• Non-monotonic

Question 9

What are the properties of the best explanation?

Answer 9

• increased Simplicity
• increased Unification
• increased Understanding
• decreased Ad hoc-ness

Question 10

‘the best of a bad lot’ argument

Answer 10

no guarantee that the best available explanation is true