The rationality of induction / D.C. Stove.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stove, D. C. (David Charles)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Induction (Logic).

Logic.

Probabilities.

Physical Description:

231 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford [Oxfordshire] ; New York : Clarendon Press, 1986.

Summary:

Writing on the justification of certain inductive inferences, the author proposes that sometimes induction is justified and that arguments to prove otherwise are not cogent. In the first part he examines the problem of justifying induction, looks at some attempts to prove that it is justified, and responds to criticisms of these proofs. In the second part he deals with such topics as formal logic, deductive logic, the theory of logical probability, and probability and truth.

Contents:

Part 1 Induction

I Induction Presupposes Angels 3

II 'The Problem of Justifying Induction' 30

III The Sceptical Thesis about Induction 34

IV What Sort of Thing a Proof that Induction is Justified Would be 44

V An Attempt to Prove that Induction is Justified: the Relevance of Experience 51

VI Another Attempt to Prove that Induction is Justified: the Law of Large Numbers 55

VII Responses to These Attempts; and Responses to Them 76

VIII Why These Arguments do not Convince 99

Part 2 Probability

IX The Myth of Formal Logic 115

X Is Deductive Logic Empirical? 145

XI Is the Theory of Logical Probability Groundless? 178

XII Probability and Truth 190.

Notes:

Includes index.

Bibliography: pages 226-228.

ISBN:

0198247893 :

OCLC:

12558179