Valid and Invalid Inductions

There are accidental and law-like inductions which should be distinguished when defining the validity of induction or the validity of knowledge. Valid can be only law-like inductions. There is still one not solved problem connected with law-like and accidental inductions and namely how to differentiate them. But the differences between law-like and accidental inductions can be based on some principles. For example, the law-like inductions are characterized by some general features, while accidental inductions are characteristic of happening to particular people and as a rule in some particular place. The categories for any case do not exist yet, but if they were in existence, they could help in defining the validity of inductions.

Some philosophers and namely Nelson Goodman and Barry Stroud speak of impossibility of perceiving why and how things can exist independently from our perception and why some phenomena are related to our seeing of the world. Nelson Goodman in his work studies two colors (green and blue), being guided by a logical sequence he comes to a conclusion that we can never know if the objects are really blue or green at a certain moment. Our perceptions and the actual state of things may differ from each other in the world that surrounds us. In case with induction the hypothesis relevance depends not on the form of the induction, but on its characteristic features.

Although works and statements of Nelson Goodman and Barry Stroud may make an impression that their views are completely different, it is not like that, both philosophers have one and the same aim which is concentrated on more or less similar perspectives of philosophical issues. Their aim consists in determining the validity of induction and finding out what is prior: justification of the induction or its definition and description.

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