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Single Idea 6739

[from 'Philosophy of Science' by Alexander Bird, in 14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem ]

Full Idea

If someone were to observe beech trees every day over one summer they would have evidence that seems to support both the hypothesis that beech trees are deciduous and the hypothesis that they are evergreens.

Gist of Idea

Several months of observing beech trees supports the deciduous and evergreen hypotheses

Source

Alexander Bird (Philosophy of Science [1998], Intro)

Book Reference

Bird,Alexander: 'Philosophy of Science' [UCL Press 2000], p.20


A Reaction

Bird offers this to anyone who (like me) is tempted to dismiss the 'grue' problem as ridiculous. Obviously he is right; 'deciduous' works like 'grue'. But we invented the predicate 'deciduous' to match an observed property.