A Class Room Logic: Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of TeachingMcNair, George Hastings
Philosophy
A Class Room Logic: Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of Teaching
McNair, George Hastings
Logic
Deductive reasoning is reasoning from more general premises to a less
general conclusion.
The inductive syllogism is not supposed to conform to the canons of the
deductive syllogism.
(2) Positing in the conclusion more than is indicated in the premises
involves what is known as the “_inductive hazard_.”
The inductive hazard which is another expression for the spirit of
discovery, should be fostered in the school room since it has been one
of the great forces in human progress; but this venturesome spirit must
be regulated by rules, principles, and systematic procedure, or low
ideals of recklessness and inaccuracy will result.
(3) The problem of induction is more complex than that of deduction;
because the former is a comparatively new subject, and also is more
closely related to the activities of life.
(4) The opinion relative to the exact nature of induction, though
varied, may be summed up in the thought of its being the process which
leads to general truths, derived from the observation of individual
facts.
(5) Induction and deduction are contiguous processes which go to
make up the more general process of thinking. Where induction ceases,
deduction naturally commences; induction discovers new knowledge,
deduction clarifies it.
(6) Induction as a general process may be treated as a mode of
inference or as a method. In either case the conclusion comprehends
more than is contained in the premises.
Since no imperfect induction is absolutely free from doubt, on what
ground are we justified in making any inductive assumptions? The answer
follows:
(7 and 8) “Nothing can occur without a cause and every cause has
its effect,” is the law of universal causation; while the law of the
uniformity of nature is “the same antecedents are universally followed
by the same consequents.” These two laws justify inductive assumptions,
and, in a sense, condition all thinking.
(9) Uniformity of nature gives man confidence, while universal
causation arouses his curiosity. With these two weapons he is willing
to “march into the unknown.”
(10) As the process of universalizing individual experiences, induction
assumes the three forms of simple enumeration, analogy and analysis.
The form adopted is not always elective but is controlled largely by
the exigency of the case. Some topics lend themselves to all three
modes.
(11) Induction by simple enumeration consists in observing many
instances which exemplify the uniformity under consideration.
_Complete_ enumeration gives the so called perfect inductive inference;
_incomplete but uncontradicted_ enumeration leads to empirical truths;
while _incomplete_ and _contradictive_ enumeration involves a mere
calculation of chances.
(12) Induction by analogy assumes that if two (or more) things resemble
each other in certain respects, they belong to the same type, and,
therefore, any fact known of the one, may be affirmed of the other.
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