PHI 210 Lecture 12: PHINOTES22717
Document Summary
Principle g1, principle e1 and the paradox of the raven. Confirmation theory is an attempt to state general principles determining what counts as good evidence. (sainsbury p. 90) What is good evidence for accepting a generalization all a"s are b"s? . Strictly speaking, an instance of the generalization all a"s are b"s is a statement of the form this a is a b . Loosely, an instance is an a that is a b. A counterinstance is a statement of the form this a is not b or an a that is something other than b. Justifying belief in a generalization: john has two & only two sisters: kate & becca, kate is married, becca is married, therefore, all of john"s sisters are married. Here i have a deductively valid argument that justifies belief in the generalization. Most generalizations can"t be justified with a deductively valid argument.
