tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73603161419517604992024-03-14T00:16:51.659-07:00Inductive QuestA blog about what induction is, what others in the past have said about it, and what I think it is. Also includes posts about Objectivism from an inductive perspective.Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-47282728687221083232019-12-09T23:09:00.000-08:002019-12-15T02:00:46.591-08:00William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 6/Final Part)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Previous
posts: <a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/06/abstract-this-series-will-summarize.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #848484;">William Whewell's
"Discoverer's Induction" (Part 1)</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #848484;">William Whewell's
"Discoverer's Induction" (Part 2)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_5.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #848484;">William Whewell's
"Discoverer's Induction" (Part 3)</span></a><br>
<a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_6.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #848484;">William Whewell's
"Discoverer's Induction" (Part 4)</span></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/11/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html">William
Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 5)</a></span></b><br>
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Introduction</h3>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This final part of my series
on Dr. William Whewell will discuss the four tests he believes can determine
the veracity and applicability of a true colligation, an induction. I have
named these four tests as (1) Deductive Consistency, (2) Prediction
of Past and Future Phenomenal Events, (3) Consilience of Inductions, and
lastly, (4) Simplicity and Unity. Additionally, this part will discuss what
Whewell termed the “Logic of Induction.” Whewell’s “Logic of Induction” will cover
how inductive generalizations can be expressed in Inductive Tables and how they
can represent the criterion of truth. Lastly, this part will provide a summary
of what Whewell believes scientific induction to be.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/12/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-64969859458265463762019-11-04T21:39:00.000-08:002019-12-15T02:04:50.134-08:00William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":8,"w":653,"h":18,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":145}">
<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":8,"w":101,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":145}" lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Previous posts: </span><span bis_size="{"x":117,"y":8,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":309,"abs_y":145}" lang="EN-US"><a bis_size="{"x":117,"y":8,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":309,"abs_y":145}" href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/06/abstract-this-series-will-summarize.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 1)</a></span><span bis_size="{"x":454,"y":8,"w":4,"h":17,"abs_x":646,"abs_y":145}" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":26,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":163}" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a bis_size="{"x":16,"y":26,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":163}" href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 2)</a></span></div>
<div bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":653,"h":18,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}">
<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" lang="EN-US"><span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_5.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 3)</a></span></span></span><br>
<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" lang="EN-US"><a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_6.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 4)</a></span></span><br>
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Introduction</h3>
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<span bis_size="{"x":16,"y":44,"w":336,"h":17,"abs_x":208,"abs_y":181}" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This series' penultimate post will cover two of William Whewell’s three
steps of induction. These steps <span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">are also his general theory of the generation of scientific </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">hypotheses and theories. Whewell </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">believed that these steps of induction are what scientists </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">have followed in some form throughout history to discover and create conceptual </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">knowledge and propel scientific inquiry. This </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">progress in the creation and use of conceptual knowledge impacted </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0px;">all of the various, interconnected fields of science.</span></span></div>
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</div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/11/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-77694717700809228832019-07-12T02:42:00.000-07:002019-07-12T02:43:40.689-07:0010 Year Anniversary!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can't believe it's been 10 years since I started <i>Inductive Quest</i>!<br>
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This blog's content has shifted along with my attention and focus over the years, so thank you to those who've stuck it out over the years to learn my thoughts on the topic of induction.<br>
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</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/10-year-anniversary.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-32046987688979274552019-07-06T23:54:00.000-07:002019-12-15T02:06:52.230-08:00William Whewell’s “Discoverer’s Induction” (Part 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Previous posts: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/06/abstract-this-series-will-summarize.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 1)</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><br>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 2)</a></span><br>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_5.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 3)</a></span></span> </span><br>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Induction as a True
Colligation of Facts</span></b></h3>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Colligation and
Induction</span></i></b></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">William Whewell’s theory of
induction and of scientific methodology centers on the <i>explication</i> of <i>conceptions</i></span><span lang="EN-US"> and on the <i>colligation </i>of <i>facts</i>. For Whewell, i<i>nduction</i> is mainly about what <i>facts</i>, <i>propositions</i>, <i>definitions</i>,
and <i>ideas</i> we can draw out of our <i>conceptions</i>, and about how to
find new and more productive ways to bind these elements up into a more exact,
more appropriate <i>conception. </i>The ancient and prevailing theory of
induction has been that it’s enumerative: a general statement or proposition
that is applied to a collection of instances. </span></div>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_6.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-15888179897184376272019-07-05T17:25:00.000-07:002019-12-15T02:08:06.578-08:00William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Previous posts: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/06/abstract-this-series-will-summarize.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 1)</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 2)</a></span><br>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Structure of Knowledge</span></b></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before Whewell can fully articulate the details of how induction works in scientific methodology and in theory-formation, he needs to explain several related issues. He has to express his views on the source(s) of knowledge, how people construct conceptual knowledge, and how we can justify what we’ve learned. In short, he has to first construct his epistemology (theory of knowledge) to then discuss how his theory of induction builds on that foundation. In Part 3 of this series on Whewell, we will cover his controversial notion of <i>fundamental ideas</i>, how we produce <i>conceptions</i> and the complementary processes of <i>explication </i>and <i>colligation</i>.</span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction_5.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-41142444900915873832019-07-02T13:34:00.000-07:002019-12-15T02:10:35.247-08:00William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US">Previous post: <a href="https://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/06/abstract-this-series-will-summarize.html" target="_blank">William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 1)</a></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">The Fu</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">ndamental Antithesis of Philosophy</span></b></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US">The purpose of the <i>Philosophy </i>was the determinations of both the nature and the conditions of human knowledge (<i>Philosophy I</i>, 16). His theory of induction was framed as a part of the full articulation of the dimensions and powers of knowledge. But before Whewell could present his theory of induction </span>to the reader, he wanted them to wrap their heads around a foundational issue, a division of knowledge at the base of science, of philosophy and of human life itself. This was the dual nature of knowledge, which he termed the “fundamental antithesis of philosophy.”</div>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/07/william-whewells-discoverers-induction.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-51334173105014840772019-06-26T00:00:00.000-07:002019-12-15T02:12:43.356-08:00William Whewell's "Discoverer's Induction" (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Abstract</span></b></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br></span>
<span lang="EN-US">This series will summarize the major
elements of William Whewell’s (1792–1866) theory of inductive reasoning, which
he termed “Discoverer’s Induction.” Whewell (pronounced “Who-ell”) was a 19-century
philosopher of science and a polymath, who believed that the true purpose of
science was to form the clearest and most beneficial concepts that we possibly
could manage. </span></div>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2019/06/abstract-this-series-will-summarize.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-44235589996113573802018-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:002018-12-22T14:11:25.406-08:00Update on Plans for Inductive Quest<head><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><br>
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</script></head><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A short post on what I plan to do with <i>Inductive Quest</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> in the future.</span><br>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2018/12/update-on-plans-for-inductive-quest.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-58118728505493430422017-11-30T15:19:00.001-08:002019-01-12T04:13:39.603-08:00Objectivist Volition vs Indeterminism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">In the free will-determinism debate, Objectivism stands in rare company with those philosophies that adopt the libertarian view of volition (which is free will considered as incompatible with determinism). Most philosophies embrace one of the alternative theories to libertarian free will: hard determinism, soft determinism (compatibilism), and indeterminism. Responses to the hard and soft versions of determinism will be forthcoming. This current essay will present an overview of the indeterminist perspective on free will. Afterwards an Objectivist response to the indeterminist position will be explored, both to explain the differences between the two theories as well as to point out errors on the part of the indeterminists.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2017/11/objectivist-volition-vs-indeterminism.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-70878095746028758652017-08-27T01:07:00.000-07:002017-08-30T02:14:32.799-07:00Objectivist Volition Versus Alternative Theories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
previous essays in this series presented the Objectivist concept of free will,
and demonstrated how it operates in the mental and physical realms. In this
essay, the Objectivist view of volition will be compared with some past
theories of free will. Three broad views of volition will occupy the first half
of this paper: free will as the choice of actions, as the choice of motives,
and finally, as the choice of ideas. Afterwards, a response will be given to
each of these views, pointing out certain missing information or other flaws. The
essay’s conclusion will discuss how the Objectivist theory of free will is a
more holistic version of human choice than these past theories have offered.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2017/08/objectivist-volition-versus-alternative.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-77341480440265118102016-09-06T13:19:00.001-07:002017-08-25T07:52:52.922-07:00The Freedom of Human Action<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Human action has several forms. Involuntary actions exist, such as reflexes and subconscious prompts like the involuntary recall of a memory. In the realm of voluntary action, we’ve established that the primary choices are focus and non-focus (as either drift or evasion). The choice to be completely out of focus prevents a person from carrying out a wealth of other actions that were otherwise possible to them. A mind fully out of focus can merely react passively to whatever stimuli reaches their consciousness. However, the choice to focus opens up endless possibilities, possibilities which can be explored only if the person chooses a goal and directs his mind and body towards its attainment.<br>
<br>
I’ll elaborate a bit on the idea that untold amounts of actions, both mental and physical, become available once a person chooses to focus. Mentally, a person can choose what one wants to think about, whether it’s about the next day’s weather forecast, which math problem will be solved first, or what workouts will be included on a weekly fitness schedule. We can think and make decisions regarding our personal lives, social lives, family ties, and careers; in short, we can decide what we want to cognitively deal with. Physically, we control our bodies’ muscles and thus can decide where we want to go and what we want to do, whether it’s going to the movies, cooking a steak dinner, or investing in a promising company. Our control of our respective minds and muscles allows us to tie our thoughts to our bodily actions in order to perform a wide diversity of complicated actions, sometimes only lasting a few seconds (e.g. carrying food to throw it out in a nearby trashcan), sometimes spanning the course of years (e.g. training to compete as an Olympian) or even the majority of one’s life (e.g. a life-long career or raising a family).<br>
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I’ll start with the relationship between causality and the primary choices which I discussed in the previous essay. Following that, I’ll show how cause-and-effect operates with our choice to think and what causes can affect our thoughts. After that, the causality involved in human actions will be discussed. The conclusion will focus on this principle as another intuitive induction, and with a word of caution about “living” an unfocused life.<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-freedom-of-human-action.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-7414957509327519592016-08-05T15:27:00.001-07:002016-08-09T04:45:24.607-07:00Free Will and the Primary Choice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my earlier essay about the <a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-perceptual-level-as-given.html?m=1" target="_blank">perceptual level</a>, I mentioned that the sensory and perceptual levels of consciousness are automatic, but the conceptual level is not. Our brains, nervous systems, and minds as well as those of other animals are biologically set to have sensations or perceptions with an environmental stimulus or a change in one’s perceptual field. There is no choice or alternative in the matter. But the same cannot be said for the conceptual level of consciousness.<br>
<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2016/08/free-will-and-primary-choice.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-33558466337007131212016-05-25T22:45:00.003-07:002018-12-21T03:22:57.083-08:00Hobbes and Hume on the Senses: a Response<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This essay is a follow-up to “The Perceptual Level as Given.” It will discuss a philosophical school that tried to answer the question of what the mind starts with: the sensualists/empiricists. The bulk of this essay will be an extended presentation of the sensualist approach of consciousness and knowledge as expounded by key sensualists like Hobbes and Hume. That section will be followed by a couple of my own problems with sensualism as they relate to the perceptual level of consciousness. (My issues with the sensualist view of the conceptual level will have to wait until I work through the inductions of concept-formation. I’ve also modernized the words in Hobbes’ and Hume’s quoted statements.)<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2016/05/sensualism-summary-and-response.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-71815819376452037612016-05-24T20:58:00.000-07:002016-05-25T18:02:05.295-07:00The Perceptual Level as Given<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the questions that philosophy asks is, “what information does the mind start with, what is ‘given’ with regard to our consciousness”? To answer this question, let’s briefly survey the levels of information that the mind deals with from the Objectivist perspective. As this principle sort of encapsulates the Objectivist view of perception, I’ll elaborate on some aspects of perception that I covered in previous essays. After giving this overview, I’ll discuss this principle’s relation to the previous intuitive inductions I’ve written about. The conclusion will discuss some overall lessons to be learned about epistemology from the Objectivist principles about perception that have been explained.<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-perceptual-level-as-given.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-89394525206542359402016-01-15T18:29:00.001-08:002016-02-24T12:42:03.633-08:00Consciousness as Possessing Identity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My previous essay on sensory qualities indicated that past philosophies generated doubts about the validity of the senses. As would be expected, historically there have been criticisms levied against all of the standard forms of gaining knowledge: perception, as we’ve already seen, but also the conceptual faculty/faculty of reason, and the art of logic. The principle that consciousness has identity gives a general answer to these kinds of criticisms. It also highlights what should be regarded as the proper starting point for an epistemology.<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2016/01/consciousness-as-possessing-identity.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-78291231038890433432015-12-22T01:34:00.001-08:002018-01-03T01:33:58.479-08:00Sensory Qualities as Real<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If Objectivism had been created earlier in history, perhaps a mere mention of the validity of the senses combined with the consciousness axiom would have sufficed. However, this is not the case: centuries, even millennia of philosophical debates have clouded and casted doubts on the issue of sense-perception. Several problems and purported solutions were advanced long before Objectivism was formed, and merit responses or clarification. This principle, the validity and metaphysical status of sensory qualities, is one such issue that will be tackled in the foregoing.<br>
<br>
<strong>The Metaphysical Status of Sensory Qualities</strong><br>
<br>
Philosophy acknowledges that perception is an activity that people engage in. Epistemology generally holds that an “object” is “that which a cognitive subject perceives, knows, is aware of, describes, refers to, etc.”[1] A perception is understood to be a type of enduring awareness of an object.<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/12/pre-epistemology-sensory-qualities-as.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-4086703745824649502015-09-01T19:42:00.002-07:002016-02-24T12:10:47.463-08:00The Senses as Necessarily Valid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Epistemology
is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature and means of human
knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The field lays out the rules
and principles to guide the formation of concepts, the construction of logic,
and generally how to gain knowledge and show its validity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Objectivism holds that metaphysics and
epistemology combined are the theoretical base of any philosophy.[1]</span><br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">There is
a little more context needed than metaphysics to fully confront the issues in
epistemology. We must first discuss 2 topics that make the field of
epistemology possible: sense-perception and volition (free will).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll also cover the axiomatic concept of “self”
at the end of this series, as I think it’s a subject that needs to be discussed
for a complete understanding of Objectivism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Now we
can begin with the role and validity of human sensory-perception.</span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/09/pre-epistemology-senses-as-necessarily.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-83226218753748276252015-08-27T18:26:00.000-07:002015-08-29T16:12:36.059-07:00Objections to the Axioms (Part 6)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">This
will probably be my last response to the metaphysical axioms for some time.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">A
commenter raises the following issue:</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's
often said that to deny axiom[sic] is to engage in self contradiction - and
that wouldn't be a valid objection because in order to classify contradiction
as an error one has to assume axioms to be true. I see circular reasoning in
this answer against axiom deniers.[1] </span></span>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/08/objections-to-axioms-part-6.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-19932407596317861902015-08-14T20:16:00.000-07:002015-08-27T18:27:06.284-07:00Objections to the Axioms (Part 5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<![endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Objection: The Axioms Equivocate on Their Content</span></i><br>
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<br></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">This objection
concerns exactly what it is that the axioms are explaining and implying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It highlights a seeming equivocation:</span><br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[…]In the <i>Logical Structure of Objectivism</i>, David
Kelley makes the following observation:</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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Notice that neither [the axiom of existence nor the axiom of
identity make] any specific statement about the nature of what exists. For
example, the axiom of existence does not assert the existence of a physical or
material world as opposed to a mental one. The axiom of identity does not assert
that all objects are composed of form and matter, as Aristotle said. These
things may be true, but they are not axiomatic; the axioms assert the simple
and inescapable fact that whatever there is, it is and it is something.</div>
</blockquote>
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Very well. Now consider what Rand draws from these very same
axioms:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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To grasp the axiom that existence exists, means to grasp the
fact that nature, i.e., the universe as a whole, cannot be created or
annihilated, that it cannot come into or go out of existence. Whether its basic
constituent elements are atoms, or subatomic particles, or some yet
undiscovered forms of energy, it is not ruled by a consciousness or by will or
by chance, but by the law of identity. All the countless forms, motions,
combinations and dissolutions of elements within the universe—from a floating
speck of dust to the formation of a galaxy to the emergence of life—are caused
and determined by the identities of the elements involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</blockquote>
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In other words, she draws from these axioms: (1) that the
universe is permanent and can neither be destroyed nor created; (2) the
universe is not ruled by will or chance, but by the ‘law of identity’; (3)
everything that happens is caused by the ‘identities’ of the elements involved.
She also implies that the basic constituents of the universe, whatever they may
happen to be, are non-mental (i.e., atoms, particles, or forms of energy). How
does Rand draw all these things from these axioms when, according to Kelley
[quoted earlier in the blog post] (who, in this instance, is being entirely
orthodox) these axioms only assert that ‘something’ distinguishable exists?[1]</div>
</blockquote>
I’ll sum up this objection as:<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> “Objectivism
equivocates between axioms not specifying content (e.g. specific identities,
specific actions), and inferences about reality that supposedly follow from the
axioms (e.g. the universe cannot be created or destroyed, reality isn’t ruled
by chance).”</span><br>
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</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/08/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-ja-th.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-46880280873984064932015-08-04T23:11:00.000-07:002015-08-05T03:52:39.169-07:00Objections to the Axioms (Part 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Objection: The Axioms are Circular</i><br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The axioms rest on the law of noncontradiction for their validity, but the law of noncontradiction itself rests upon the axioms.[1] </blockquote>
<i>The Validity of the Axioms</i><br>
<br>
The (basic) axioms do not rely on each other for their validity. Direct experience or sense-perception is the means of validating the basic axioms.[2] Derivative axioms like "self" and "volition" rely on the fact of the basic axioms and direct experience for their validity, but not the basic axioms themselves. Further, the basic axioms being part of the validation of derivative axioms does not mean that the derivative axioms are deductions from the basic ones, or logical consequences. In Objectivism, the material required to form the basic axioms of existence, identity, and consciousness are discovered simultaneously. Peikoff mentions in a lecture course that: "'A is A' is independent of consciousness for its truth, but it’s not independent of the existence of consciousness to be <i>grasped</i>."[3]<br>
<br>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/08/objections-to-axioms-part-4.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-33073105954328907842015-07-25T19:38:00.001-07:002015-07-26T23:02:57.396-07:00Objections to the Axioms (Part 3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Previous: <a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.kr/2015/07/objections-to-axioms-part-2.html" target="_blank">Objections to the Axioms (Part 2)</a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><br>
<br>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Question: “Are Axioms
Proven or Merely Assumptions?”</i><br>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Are first
principles or the axioms of logic (such as identity, non-contradiction)
provable? If not, then isn't just an intuitive assumption that they are true?[...]”[1]</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The axioms are neither “proven” nor “assumed.” </div>
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<br></div>
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(In the
Objectivist view of axiomatic corollaries, Aristotle’s “Laws of Thought” are
corollaries of the Existence axiom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
more specifically, the Law or Principle of Non-contradiction and the Law of the
Excluded Middle are restatements/corollaries of the Law of Identity, which is a
corollary of “existence exists.”[2] So I’ll consider this question as broad
enough to encompass any first principle, including the Objectivist axioms.)</div>
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<br></div>
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I’ll make several points about why this can’t be the case
when speaking of actual axioms.</div>
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<br></div>
</div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/07/objections-to-axioms-part-3.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-75516607220920916772015-07-19T09:41:00.003-07:002015-07-26T23:01:47.067-07:00Objections to the Axioms (Part 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Previous: <a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.kr/2015/07/objections-to-axioms-part-1.html" target="_blank">Objections to the Axioms (Part 1)</a> <br>
<br>
This next objection is about the utility of the axioms.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Objection: “Axioms
Must Have Deductive Implications”</i><br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[...]A first principle is only useful and workable if you
can deduce the rest of the worldview from it. You can't deduce <i>anything</i>
from 'whatever exists exists'. You can't deduce any kind of epistemology (ie,
how we know that whatever exists exists, how we know that we know, etc); we
can't deduce any kind of metaphysic (ie, what is the nature of existence, what
is the ground of existence, etc); and we certainly can't deduce any ethical or
anthropological propositions (ie, what is right and wrong, what is the nature
of man, etc).[...][1]<br>
</blockquote></div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/07/objections-to-axioms-part-2.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-45469858431659583462015-07-13T00:12:00.000-07:002018-12-21T03:35:27.562-08:00Objections to the Axioms (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: normal;">Previous: <a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.kr/2015/06/the-order-of-objectivist-metaphysics.html">The
Order of the Objectivist Metaphysics</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: normal;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: normal;">The
axioms lay the proper foundation for a philosophy. But for any statement
or expression, there is almost always someone who disagrees. Axioms are
of no exception. Of the people who are dismissive of Objectivism, I
believe many are especially opposed to the Objectivist axioms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: normal;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: normal;">Since I
covered the metaphysical axioms of Objectivism in this series of posts, I’ll
take the time to answer a series of actual objections to the axioms of the
philosophy, and one objection to the idea of axioms as unprovable, originally
answered by Aristotle.</span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/07/objections-to-axioms-part-1.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-42039090083081452992015-06-28T12:41:00.000-07:002017-11-29T22:56:12.481-08:00The Order of the Objectivist Metaphysics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;">Previous: <a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-metaphysically-given-as-absolute.html" target="_blank">The Metaphysically Given as Absolute</a></span><br>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">With the final principle of the Objectivist metaphysics
articulated, we can now see the structure of this branch of philosophy.
</span><br>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Basic Axioms, and
Their Corollaries</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">We begin with the metaphysical axiomatic concepts and
axioms, which I’ve already discussed in my essay on the axioms (the others will
be discussed in the following essays on sense-perception and free will):</span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-order-of-objectivist-metaphysics.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360316141951760499.post-44343548435311031782015-06-12T18:38:00.002-07:002015-06-29T13:15:40.175-07:00The Metaphysically Given as Absolute<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Previous: <a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-primacy-of-existence.html" target="_blank">The Primacy of Existence</a><br>
<br>
The Objectivist view of metaphysics ends with the principle
that alternatives to facts of reality are impossible and unimaginable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These facts, which Ayn Rand called the
“metaphysically given,” necessarily exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Man-made facts, on the other hand, are conditional, not necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to this, metaphysically given facts are
absolute.<br>
</div></div><a href="http://inductivequest.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-metaphysically-given-as-absolute.html#more">Continue...</a>Rod.Inductionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343170953954558275noreply@blogger.com0