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Single Idea 16859

[from 'System of Logic' by John Stuart Mill, in 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 6. Inference in Perception ]

Full Idea

In almost every act of our perceiving faculties, observation and inference are intimately blended. What we are said to observe is usually a compound result, of which one-tenth may be observation, and the remaining nine-tenths inference.

Gist of Idea

Most perception is one-tenth observation and nine-tenths inference

Source

John Stuart Mill (System of Logic [1843], 4.1.2), quoted by Peter Lipton - Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd) 11 'The scientific'

Book Reference

Lipton,Peter: 'Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd ed)' [Routledge 2004], p.204


A Reaction

We seem to think that his kind of observation is a great realisation of twentieth century thought, but thoughtful empiricists spotted it much earlier.