Introduction to Induction: What is Induction and Why Study It?

The aim of this essay is to give a preliminary statement about what induction is, and to present reasons why we should be interested in figuring out the answer.

First Post

Hello!

I'm Roderick Fitts, and this is my blog, Inductive Quest.

Personal Information

I'm an Airman First Class (E-3) in the U.S. Air Force, and before that, I attended (and dropped out of) the University of Michigan. I was formerly a philosophy major and am still very interested in the field; in fact, philosophy is my main motivation for creating this blog.

I consider myself an Objectivist, meaning that I understand and agree with the principles articulated in Ayn Rand's philosophy. My other philosophical influences are Aristotle, Francis Bacon, and John Locke.

I've studied philosophy for about 3 years now, and I'm a sophomore student of the Objectivist Academic Center (currently on hiatus). The OAC has been a great place to enhance my understanding of the philosophy, and I highly recommend it for others who would like to learn about it (and other philosophies) from highly-trained professors.

Why the title "Inductive Quest"

I named my blog "Inductive Quest" because I'm determined to understand induction, both its proper and improper forms, as much as possible—even to the point of developing my own theory. I have two misgivings about whether or not a theory of induction can successfully be presented, which I plan to discuss sometime in a future post.

For now, I want to know the features of induction. This has led me to read several philosophers in ways I haven't done previously, and I think most of my posts will be my reflections on what I've learned.

Also, expect posts about the philosophy of Objectivism, since I'm still learning about the philosophy (though I do consider myself somewhat advanced) and will want to discuss some elements of it every once in a while. I'll also write about the philosophy because understanding it regularly involves implementing inductive thinking; though I haven't listened to it yet, this seems to be the main point of Dr. Leonard Peikoff's "Objectivism Through Induction" series of lectures.

Lastly, I'll probably post anything I have in mind about rationalism and empiricism, and other topics in epistemology, as I've been more interested in that branch of philosophy than any other field.

I hope you, the reader, enjoy!