Single Idea 9080

[catalogued under 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought]

Full Idea

Forming general conceptions is a necessary preliminary to Induction.

Gist of Idea

General conceptions are a necessary preliminary to Induction

Source

John Stuart Mill (System of Logic [1843], 4.2.1)

Book Reference

Mill,John Stuart: 'System of Logic (9th ed, 2 vols)' [Longmans, Green etc 1875], p.196


A Reaction

A key link in the framework of empirical philosophies, which gets us from experience to science. Induction is the very process of generalisation. We can't bring a concept like 'evolution' to preliminary observations, so it must be formulated inductively.