No, induction is totally valid and required before there can be any deduction. If valid induction was not possible there would not be any valid deduction.
And contrary to what you have been taught, probability has nothing to do with induction.
im still not really convinced, i have looked into other sources and re-looked into my text and, again perhaps you’re using an understanding of the term induction which i do not know, but the definition of “inductive reasoning” that i find anywhere i look is “a type of reasoning that involves moving from a set of specific facts to a general conclusion.” but it also goes on to state that “The premises of an inductive logical argument indicate some degree of support (inductive probability) for the conclusion but do not entail it; i.e. they do not ensure its truth.”
… the definition of “inductive reasoning” that i find anywhere i look is ..
Oh yes, I believe you. Objectivism has its own take on induction which is an improvement on the conventional wisdom, resolving the “problem of induction”. Altruism is no good as an ethical theory either.
Oh yes, I believe you. Objectivism has its own take on induction which is an improvement on the conventional wisdom, resolving the “problem of induction”. Altruism is no good as an ethical theory either.
ah i see, i guess i’ve yet to read the objectivist understanding of induction.. which book/essay does it appear in. i’ll have to read it and at least understand it in order to stop looking like an idiot lol
also, i understand that not every theory which has been proposed has been the correct one, however i was not taught inductive reasoning in a philosophy class, merely in a logic class, so i took the professors words at face value… although i suppose it’s entirely possible for him to be incorrect i wouldnt normally contradict a math teacher on the nature of advanced functions lol still an answer to the problem of induction would certainly be welcome
ah i see, i guess i’ve yet to read the objectivist understanding of induction.. which book/essay does it appear in. i’ll have to read it and at least understand it in order to stop looking like an idiot lol
It does not exist in that form, so it is effectively a secret. Dr. Peikoff explains his own progress on induction in a lecture series available on CD(s) from the Ayn Rand Bookstore for $205. David Harriman (Dr. Harriman I presume?) has a book on the topic derived from that lecture course titled The Logical Leap: Induction in Physics coming out this year (July 2010) for $10.95. You can get a sneak preview of what the theory is from my notes on Dr. Peikoff’s course, follow the link to “Notes on Induction in Physics and Philosophy” in my sig.
The theory is an application of Rand’s theory of concepts, so you need to know that. Since Rand’s theory of concepts is the essence of Rand’s method in every area of Objectivism, you should learn that anyway. Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, 2nd edition by Ayn Rand herself is available in several bookstore chains as well as the Ayn Rand Bookstore.