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W.C. Salmon
In this selection, Salmon lays out the problem
of induction as we received it from Hume,
surveys several attempts to deal with the
problem, and concludes that they all fail.
This article helps us see the enormous
difficulty and importance of the problem of
induction.
How do we acquire
knowledge of the
unobserved?
No!
Ampliative Inference
Some black balls have been drawn from the urn therefore can one conclude that they will be black as
we continue drawing?
No, not at all, because in this sort of nondemonstrative logic, it is perfectly possible
for the conclusion (all future balls will be
black) to be false even if the premises are
true (all the balls so far were black).
First Attempt
Second Attempt
Third Attempt
Fourth Attempt
Fifth Attempt
Sixth Attempt
Conclusion