New Books in Philosophy John D. Norton, "The Large-Scale Structure of Inductive Inference" (U Calgary Press, 2024)
Jan 11, 2025
In this engaging discussion, John D. Norton, a Distinguished Professor of philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh, dives into the intricacies of inductive inference. He presents his material theory of induction, emphasizing the importance of contextual background facts over universal rules. Norton critiques traditional views, shedding light on the complexities of scientific maturity and the intersection of faith and scientific evidence. He also tackles Hume's famous problem of induction, offering a fresh perspective that seeks to dissolve long-standing philosophical challenges.
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Material Theory of Induction
- Mainstream inductive inference research is flawed because it mimics deductive inference by searching for universal rules.
- Good inductive inferences are authorized by true background facts within a specific domain, not universal rules.
Marie Curie's Radium Chloride
- Marie Curie inferred the crystallographic form of all radium chloride from a single sample.
- This inference was based on the established fact that crystalline substances fall into specific families.
Large-Scale Inductive Inference
- Warranting facts, which justify inductive inferences, need to be true to avoid mistakes.
- Knowledge of these facts often relies on further inductive inferences, creating a large network.