Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Saundaranandakavya', 'Doing Without Concepts' and 'Three theses about dispositions'

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2 ideas

14. Science / C. Induction / 1. Induction
Psychologists use 'induction' as generalising a property from one category to another [Machery]
     Full Idea: Typically, psychologists use 'induction' to refer to the capacity to generalise a property from a category (the source) to another category (the target).
     From: Edouard Machery (Doing Without Concepts [2009], 7.1.1)
     A reaction: This is because psychologists are interested in the ongoing activities of thought. Philosophers step back a bit, to ask how the whole thing could get started. Philosophical induction has to start with individuals and single observations.
'Ampliative' induction infers that all members of a category have a feature found in some of them [Machery]
     Full Idea: Induction is 'ampliative' when it infers that all or most members of a category possess a property from the fact that some of its members have this property.
     From: Edouard Machery (Doing Without Concepts [2009], 7.1.1)
     A reaction: This sounds like a simple step in reasoning, but actually it is more like explanation, and will involve overall coherence and probability, rather than a direct conclusion. This invites sceptical questions. The last one observed may be the exception.