The Commens Dictionary

Quote from ‘Deduction, Induction, and Hypothesis’

Term: 
Induction
Quote: 

… So that induction is the inference of the rule from the case and result.
But this is not the only way of inverting a deductive syllogism so as to produce a synthetic inference. [—] We have, then–

      DEDUCTION.

Rule.–All the beans from this bag are white.
Case.–These beans are from this bag.
.·.Result.–These beans are white.

      INDUCTION.

Case.–These beans are from this bag.
Result.–These beans are white.
.·.Rule.–All the beans from this bag are white

      HYPOTHESIS.

Rule.–All the beans from this bag are white.
Result.–These beans are white.
.·.Case.–These beans are from this bag.

We, accordingly, classify all inference as follows:

      Inference.

      |——————————|
Deductive or Analytic.   Synthetic.
                                 |—————–|
                            Induction.   Hypothesis.

Induction is where we generalize from a number of cases of which something is true, and infer that the same thing is true of a whole class. Or, where we find a certain thing to be true of a certain proportion of cases and infer that it is true of the same proportion of the whole class.

Source: 
Peirce, Charles S. (1878). Deduction, Induction, and Hypothesis
Date: 
1878
References: 
CP 2.623
Citation: 
‘Induction’ (pub. 30.01.13-19:20). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-deduction-induction-and-hypothesis-3.
Posted: 
Jan 30, 2013, 19:20 by Sami Paavola
Last revised: 
Jan 07, 2014, 01:00 by Commens Admin