Induction, deduction and inference to the best explanation

Vol 8, No 2 (2007) • Filosofia Unisinos - Unisinos Journal of Philosophy

Autor: Rodolfo Gaeta

Resumo:

Starting from the concept of abduction coined by Pierce, Harman, Josephson and Psillos have recently claimed that inference to the best explanation is the scientific method par excellence and favour a realist conception of scientific theories. In this paper, I evaluate some of the arguments proposed by those philosophers in order to show that inference to the best explanation overcomes some difficulties faced by enumerative induction and the hypothetical-deductive method, concluding that such arguments have some relevant deficiencies.

ISSN: ISSN: 1984-8234

Texto Completo: http://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/filosofia/article/view/5813

Palavras-Chave: abduction, hypothetical deductivism,abduction

Filosofia Unisinos - Unisinos Journal of Philosophy


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