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Single Idea 12293

[filed under theme 14. Science / C. Induction / 3. Limits of Induction ]

Full Idea

When it is necessary to establish the universal, people use the expression 'So in all cases of this kind'; but it is one of the most difficult tasks to define which of the terms proposed are 'of this kind' and which are not.

Gist of Idea

We say 'so in cases of this kind', but how do you decide what is 'of this kind'?

Source

Aristotle (Topics [c.331 BCE], 157a25)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Posterior Analytics and Topica', ed/tr. Tredennick,H/Forster,ES [Harvard 1960], p.687

A Reaction

It is particularly hard if induction is expressed as the search for universals, since the kind presumably is the universal, so the universal must be known before the induction can apply, which really is the most frightful nuisance for truth-seekers.

The 34 ideas from 'Topics'

12259 Reasoning is when some results follow necessarily from certain claims [Aristotle]
12260 Dialectic starts from generally accepted opinions [Aristotle]
12261 Differentia are generic, and belong with genus [Aristotle]
12262 An 'idion' belongs uniquely to a thing, but is not part of its essence [Aristotle]
12263 'Genus' is part of the essence shared among several things [Aristotle]
12264 An 'accident' is something which may possibly either belong or not belong to a thing [Aristotle]
12265 All water is the same, because of a certain similarity [Aristotle]
12266 'Same' is mainly for names or definitions, but also for propria, and for accidents [Aristotle]
12267 There are ten categories: essence, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, position, state, activity, passivity [Aristotle]
12271 Induction is the progress from particulars to universals [Aristotle]
12272 We describe the essence of a particular thing by means of its differentiae [Aristotle]
12273 Unit is the starting point of number [Aristotle]
12274 Begin examination with basics, and subdivide till you can go no further [Aristotle]
12275 We value friendship just for its own sake [Aristotle]
12276 Justice and self-control are better than courage, because they are always useful [Aristotle]
12277 Friendship is preferable to money, since its excess is preferable [Aristotle]
12278 'Being' and 'oneness' are predicated of everything which exists [Aristotle]
12279 The differentia indicate the qualities, but not the essence [Aristotle]
12280 Genus gives the essence better than the differentiae do [Aristotle]
12281 Man is intrinsically a civilized animal [Aristotle]
12282 An individual property has to exist (in past, present or future) [Aristotle]
12283 In definitions the first term to be assigned ought to be the genus [Aristotle]
12284 Everything that is has one single essence [Aristotle]
11261 Puzzles arise when reasoning seems equal on both sides [Aristotle]
12285 The definition is peculiar to one thing, not common to many [Aristotle]
13269 In the case of a house the parts can exist without the whole, so parts are not the whole [Aristotle]
12286 If two things are the same, they must have the same source and origin [Aristotle]
12287 Two identical things have the same accidents, they are the same; if the accidents differ, they're different [Aristotle]
12288 Numerical sameness and generic sameness are not the same [Aristotle]
12289 The genera and the differentiae are part of the essence [Aristotle]
12290 Destruction is dissolution of essence [Aristotle]
12291 There can't be one definition of two things, or two definitions of the same thing [Aristotle]
12292 Definitions are easily destroyed, since they can contain very many assertions [Aristotle]
12293 We say 'so in cases of this kind', but how do you decide what is 'of this kind'? [Aristotle]