Principles of Political EconomyPerry, Arthur Latham
General
Principles of Political Economy
Perry, Arthur Latham
Economics
(2) _Deduction._ This is a logical process exactly the reverse of the
first, in that it descends from a generalized statement reached by the
inductive process to some particular, or subordinate class of
particulars, ostensibly covered by the general maxim. Induction
examines a number of particulars, and then makes a leap, it may be a
long leap, over all intervening particulars, to its Generalization
clamping them. The main use of Deduction is to make sure of any one of
these overleaped particulars, which may come into importance, and thus
confirm the generalization, or correct it. It is not strictly true,
what is often alleged against deductive reasoning, that there is
nothing _new_ in its result, that the Induction had already passed
through that particular in rising to its Generalization, and therefore
to descend to any particular link to examine that, is something
useless. The exact truth is, that it _is_ useless to examine again
deductively the very particulars that were carefully studied
inductively, but on the other hand there is always much actually
untraversed territory between these already examined particulars and
the inductive generalization, and Deduction is often very useful in
carrying us down to questionable points in this territory. Even Lord
Bacon, who scorned the syllogism, admits this: "_Axioms duly and
orderly formed from particulars easily discover the way to new
particulars, and thus render sciences active._"
We will illustrate this by a reference to Franklin's famous induction
to prove the identity of lightning with electricity. Only one
experiment, and that a very rude one, was needful in this case;
although usually many experiments, or the careful observation of many
particulars, are necessary in inductions; but the generalization
having been gained, Deduction had a chance to try its hand; it had
long been observed that electricity could be conducted from point to
point, and if electricity and lightning be identical, then lightning
can be so conducted; therefore, deduced Franklin, a pointed iron rod
elevated above buildings will harmlessly conduct lightning from the
clouds into the ground. Deduction gave mankind the lightning-rod, and
so made one point of science "_active_," as Bacon phrased it; and it
is noticeable, that Turgot's felicitous epigram turns on the deductive
rather than the inductive side of Franklin's experiment: _Eripuit
coelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis._
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