Induction essays

Induction essays Induction is reasoning from a small set of examples to a general conclusion about all similar examples. For instance, we believe that the sun will rise tomorrow based on countless days of experience. Of particular importance to us is drawing conclusions about the future on the basis of past or present experience. Hume says that all such reasoning works only if things go on as they have before. Only if past experience is a reliable guide to future experience. Without this assumption, the reasoning is unjustified. So, how do we know the future will be like the past. Deduction wont work because it is not a contradiction to assume that the future will change. Hume says that just because the future has resembled the past in the past, it doesnt follow that it will resemble the past from now on. If one assumes this, they are arguing in a circle. Induction may be justified by saying that the past or present cause the future. If we know the cause, which is the past or present , then we know the effect, which is the future. However, Hume says that you only have the idea of causation because, in the past, you have seen things go together all the time. Therefore, the concept of causation is based on past experience. To assume that causation will continue as it has is to assume the future will be like the past. This is circular reasoning. According to Hume the attempts to answer the problem of induction cannot succeed. Contemporary science is very successful. Its success is based on discovering exception less laws of nature. So, we are justified in concluding that nature follows exception less laws. However, Hume believes that this is still circular reasoning because laws have been exception less up until now so how do we know that will continue. The more we notice a uniformity, that is we see two things together, the more probable that they will appear together next time. The problem with this, according to H...