Prof.

Swan

PHI 130

Exam 2

Alexandra Blackwell

1. WHAT IS THE QUESTION OUR PHILOSOPHERS ARE ANSWERING

CONCERNING THE PROBLEM OF INDUCTION?

Our philosophers, such as David Hume, Karl Popper, and William James, are posing an
epistemological question about the ways in which human beings know information. Their
question asks: is induction a valid logical procedure? Thus, also placing the way we know the
Principle of the Uniformity of Nature (a priori or a posteriori) into question as well.

2. WHAT IS HUME’S QUESTION?

Hume states that because we must have the P.U.N. to use induction as a valid logical
procedue, we must question how we concluded the P.U.N to be true itself. If we cannot prove
the P.U.N., how can we claim that induction is valid?

3. EXPLAIN THE CIRCLE OF ABSURDITY?

To answer this question of induction, Hume created the Circle of Absurdity to demonstrate how
there was no answer. As a skeptic, Hume said that because of the blatant contradiction- how
could you verify induction by P.U.N. if you needed induction first to get the P.U.N., induction,
and therefore science, is ultimately invalid.

4. HOW DOES THE EMPIRICIST ANSWER OUR QUESTION CONCERNING

INDUCTION?

Empiricists answer our question by distinguishing two forms of induction- Caveman and
Scientific- the difference being the strict rules, logic, and methods applied to scientific induction.
With scientific induction we can discover P.U.N. through a posteriori knowledge.

5. HOW DOES THE EMPIRICIST ANSWER HUME’S QUESTION CONCERNING THE

P.U.N.?

Empiricist’s say that Hume’s circle represented Caveman Induction, and rather scientific
induction is the type used to find P.U.N., thus fixing the circle and validating the P.U.N.

6. WHAT ARE THE TWO CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENTIFIC INDUCTION?

Scientific induction follows rigorous rules of logic and involved various methods. It is also
constantly looking for generalizations and ways to disprove “knowledge,” making it very self-
critical.

7. PLEASE PROVIDE A STATEMENT WHICH ALL OF OUR PHILOSOPHERS

WOULD AGREE.

All of our philosophers would proport that you could never do induction unless you already knew
that the P.U.N existed.

8. WHAT IS THE METHODOLOGY IN WHICH POPPER BELIEVES WE USE TO

‘DO’ SCIENCE?

Popper believes we execute science in a system involving conjecture and refutation- making
guesses and attempting to prove them wrong.

9. HOW DOES THE PRAGMATIST ANSWER OUR QUESTION? HOW DOES HE

RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OF FINDING A METHOD FOR SCIENCE?

The pragmatist answers our question by redefining “truth,” and therefore science, which he
claims has nothing to do with induction. Both induction and the P.U.N. are invalid, and rather we
know things because of what is verifiable within the world around us.

10. FINISH THIS STATEMENT HAVING TO DO WITH POPPER’S

EPISTEMOLOGY; “THE CERTAINTY WITH WHICH WE HOLD A

GENERALIZATION TO BE TRUE …RATHER;

“The certainty with which we hold a generalization to be true depends not upon the
accumulation of evidence in support of [said] generalization, but rather upon the accumulation of
failed attempts to disprove it.“

11. WHAT IS ONE STATEMENT ONLY THE RATIONALIST WOULD AGREE WITH

CONCERNING OUR QUESTION?

Only the rationalist would agree the P.U.N. is known a priori.

12. EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STATIC AND DYNAMIC

UNIVERSE?

In a static universe, everything remains unchanged, while in a dynamic universe, everything is

constantly in flux, changing like your body gaining or losing mass ever day, or a car’s paint
fading gradually.

13. WHAT ARE THE 3 CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT?

1) The argument moves from specifics to the general

2) The conclusion isn’t contained in premises

3) If premises are true, the conclusion isn’t necessarily true, however it may be true

14. WHAT DOES P.U.N. STAND FOR? AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The Principle of the Uniformity of Nature, meaning the laws by which the universe is governed,
such as the laws gravity.

15. WHAT IS THE C.T.T.? Why does William James (Pragmatist) believe it is BS?

The Correspondence Truth Theory is the theory that we come into the world wired for inductive
thinking. James believes this is BS because “all knowledge is pragmatic,” meaning we consider
true to our world what has been proven to have a successful application to the world.

16. PROVIDE ONE STATEMENT THAT ONLY THE RATIONALIST AND

EMPIRICIST WOULD AGREE CONCERNING OUR QUESTION.

Only the rationalist and the empiricist agree that induction is a valid logical procedure, thus the
circle of absurdity is fixed.

17. PROVIDE ONE STATEMENT THAT ONLY THE EMPIRICIST WOULD ASSERT

REGARDING OUR QUESTION?

Only the empiricist would assert that through scientific induction we can find the P.U.N.

18. WHAT ARE THE 3 CHARACTERISTICS OF A DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENT?

1) the argument moves from a generalization to a specific conclusion

2) Conclusion is contained in the premises

3) If the premises are true than the conclusion must be as well

19. PROVIDE ONE STATEMENT IN WHICH BOTH THE PRAGMATIST AND POPPER

WOULD AGREE.

Both the pragmatist and Popper would agree that induction is not a valid logical procedure.

20. PROVIDE ONE STATEMENT ONLY THE PRAGMATIST WOULD AFFIRM

Only the pragmatist would affirm that we define our truths as what works within our world.