Single Idea 18610

[catalogued under 14. Science / C. Induction / 1. Induction]

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.

Gist of Idea

'Ampliative' induction infers that all members of a category have a feature found in some of them

Source

Edouard Machery (Doing Without Concepts [2009], 7.1.1)

Book Reference

Machery,Edouard: 'Doing Without Concepts' [OUP 2009], p.198


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.

Related Ideas

Idea 6352 Enumerative induction gives a universal judgement, while statistical induction gives a proportion [Pollock/Cruz]

Idea 4800 Natural laws result from eliminative induction, where enumerative induction gives generalisations [Cohen,LJ, by Psillos]