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How Does Goodman's View Of The Problem Of Induction

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In this paper I will discuss Hilary Putnam’s statement regarding Goodman’s view of the problem of induction and why I agree with it. I will also explain why I think that the problem of induction is not solved and why we shouldn’t leave it behind. Nelson Goodman speaks a lot about the old problem of induction, and how it has a lot to do with conformity and judgements surrounding deductive inferences. He speaks on how problems that have come up today are not the same types of problems that we used to encounter. He suggests that the problem of induction may have, at some point, been solved. However, more problems have come up since this time and these new problems are not as well understood as the previous ones. He also brings up how …show more content…

He suggests that “The problem of justifying induction has been displaced by the problem of defining confirmation, and our our work upon this has left us with the residual problem of distinguishing between confirmable and non-confirmable hypotheses.” I think that he brings up a good point here, perhaps if we spend less time focusing on a broad range of things-from confirmation to trying to define induction- then by now we may have an answer. However, throughout time, we have had changes occur and more opinions on the difficulty of induction and how we comprehend it. So now, the whole problem of induction has changed, and will most likely continue to change come time. Goodman suggests that we should perhaps exercise control over the hypotheses we are looking at, and until we do this, we can make no distinctions between valid and invalid inductive inferences. Goodman then brings up that Hume’s inadequacy is not in his descriptive approach, but rather in the imprecision of his description. (Goodman, 323). I think that this is an excellent point to bring up, and I agree with Goodman. I think that Hume’s predictions would be much better understood and clear if he had been more precise with his description. I agree that we have to find a way to distinguish hypotheses from one another in order to confirm them if they are law …show more content…

He specifies that for him the problem is not to make sure that induction will succeed, but rather to characterize what induction is in a very neutral, straight to the point way. I also think that Goodman did an excellent job with his explanation of this and it contributed a great deal to helping solve and understand the problem of induction in a different light. So, even if the problem of induction is not solved or left behind, Goodman still contributed a great deal of advice and wealth not only to Hume’s original ideas, but also to new ideas of his own. In some ways, this may even be a good thing as for new minds that read the problem of induction can come to understand it and perhaps come up with new ideas and additions of their own. Maybe one day someone will come along and solve the problem of induction, but I don’t think it will be solved for a long time to

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David Hume is a an empiricist (knowledge is gained from sense experience)which has play’s a heavy role in his work. His views are made apparent in his work Dialogues where he raises a series of devastating objections to the teleological argument. One of his objections is that there is a lack of evidential basis. The problem Hume is trying to address in this objection is that there is no pattern of correlation between universes and designers that has been observed. This leads to a lack of evidence for the argument in regards to the best explanation claim.

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In the movie 12 Angry Men it showed many examples of Hume’s ideas such as skepticism, pluralism, relativism, and reasonable doubt. First let me explain what skepticism is, skepticism doubts the validation of knowledge or particular subject. Pluralism is the position that there are many different kinds of belief—but not all just as good as any other. Relativism is when the position that each belief is just as good as any other, since all beliefs are viewpoint dependent. Reasonable doubt is lack of proof that prevents a judge or jury to convict a defendant for the charged crime.

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Throughout this paper, I will simplify and explain Nelson Goodman’s take with the problem of induction. Nevertheless, a concept known as PUN, if proven true, has been asserted by many philosophers to be the answer to such problem. However, this is where I will introduce and clarify upon Goodman’s New Riddle of Induction and its claim that PUN by itself is not enough to act as a solution for this case. For starters, the problem is not that we know for sure that something is going to happen, that is the case for deductive arguments.

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Also, that all theories shouldn’t be based on reasoning or instinct, but on experience. Our impressions vs. our ideas. In another popular book by Hume called, “Equiry Concerning Human Understanding” he addresses his thoughts on skepticism, “the idea that we cannot know anything about the world with certainty.” Hume believed that we cannot guarantee anything, because we do not obtain the ability to reason with ourselves. For example, just because we’ve loved a certain food for years there is no guarantee that you’ld like it tomorrow.

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However Hume would say that it is because of the Impression of the hot stove burning the child that the child would reason the Idea that perhaps touching hot things will burn them. These Impressions that we take in from the outside world and inside the world of our minds help us to form ideas of the world “no Idea without a preceding Impression”. So a general strategy Hume thinks we use is the process of observing regularities, in the case of the child putting their hand on a hot stove the child will make a general assumption that touching a hot stove will burn them and relate this observations to other stoves the child has not seen with the inference of induction. However this process of induction is not a valid one to have, as it cannot be related to everything. Example being all the hairs on my head that I’ve observed are black, if I were to use this process of induction then I would assume that all of my future hairs that I grow will also be black.

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Hume’s point that as far as evidence is concerned; it is very improbable that any did occur. But this improbability fluctuates with the evidence, at times get very categorical. In fact considering certain statements in Hume’s text, one would not be wrong to say that historical miracles for him are impossible. The deciding factor in each case of reported miracles is evidence. Yet Hume was not, and would never have been able to examine all the cases of reported miracles and the evidence in their favour, so as to judge conclusively the inadequacy of their forces.

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Hume’s use of inductive reasoning shows that he is less skeptical because he must rely on observations and his senses for his theories, unlike

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Popper then goes on to explain the pragmatic problems of induction, “Upon which theory should we rely for practical action, from a rational point of view?” and

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The first concept I learned in when it comes to inductive arguments statistical and causal generalizations is that induction the process of drawing generalizations from unknown facts or research to give strength and support to conclusions. Stated in coded form, we offer proof that most A’s and B’s. Therefore, if I encounter an A, it is probably a B. However, I realize that there are expectations (Diestler 2012). When it comes to induction it begins with some data and then it determines what the general conclusion can come from a logical be resulting from the data.

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Every inductive argument must assume that nature is uniform. There is no justification for the assumption that nature is uniform. Therefore, none of our beliefs about the world are justified”(class lecture). Knowledge about the world is still possible because we believe that the nature is uniform. We assume that similar

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Hume on the other hand can only confirm what has already happened, being that is the most truthful and logical

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Rather, what Hume tries to prove is that no empirical evidence or reason gives a solid foundation for such natural beliefs. He endorses the idea that causal relations are neither synthetic nor

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At this moment you can see this notion of induction can not in any case be a simply validation or logical truth like some sort of repetition or a critical statement . Reichenbach says that this principle of induction is extremely important for scientific ways it defines the real science theories

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Despite the fact that it always involves taking a leap, there is a way of justifying it. German scientific philosopher Hans Reichenbach is an advocate of the pragmatic justification of induction. Reichenbach clearly depicts: “Either nature is uniform or she is not” (Anwer 252). Professor Mc Allister, who is also in favor of this method of justification explains that we can not be sure the world contains any universal regularities, however if the world does contain regularities, then induction is at least as quick as any other cognitive strategy at identifying these regularities. Inductivism is going to be the quickest at recognizing this.

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