Single Idea 9652

[catalogued under 14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem]

Full Idea

Some beliefs are just unreasonable in a strong sense. Think of the man who, for no special reason, expects unexamined emeralds to be grue.

Gist of Idea

To just expect unexamined emeralds to be grue would be totally unreasonable

Source

David Lewis (On the Plurality of Worlds [1986], 1.4)

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'On the Plurality of Worlds' [Blackwell 2001], p.38


A Reaction

This is a nice converse way of seeing the point that 'grue' is such an totally artificial predicate. I still say that the most illuminating point is that grue is not a colour, so seeing a grue thing is no confirmation at all.