Definition:
Method of reasoning by which a rhetor (that is, a speaker or writer) collects a number of instances and forms a generalization that is meant to apply to all instances; moving from specific instances to a general conclusion. Adjective: inductive. Contrast with deduction. See also: logical proof.
Etymology:
From the Latin, "to lead in"Examples and Observations:
- "Induction operates in two ways. It either advances a conjecture by what are called confirming instances, or it falsifies a conjecture by contrary or disconfirming evidence. A common example is the hypothesis that all crows are black. Each time a new crow is observed and found to be black the conjecture is increasingly confirmed. But if a crow is found to be not black the conjecture is falsified."
(Martin Gardner, Skeptical Inquirer, Jan.-Feb., 2002) - "Inductively valid, or correct, arguments, unlike deductively valid ones, have conclusions that go beyond what is contained in their premises. The idea behind valid induction is that of learning from experience. We often observe patterns, resemblances, and other kinds of regularities in our experiences, some quite simple (sugar sweetening coffee), some very complicated (objects moving according to Newton's laws--well, Newton noticed this, anyway). . . .
"Here is a simple example of an inductively valid argument of the kind sometimes called induction by enumeration:I loaned my friend $50 last November and he failed to pay me back. (Premise) I loaned him another $50 just before Christmas, which he hasn't paid back (Premise), and yet another $25 in January, which is still unpaid. (Premise) I suppose it's time to face facts: He's never going to pay me back. (Conclusion)
"We use inductive reasoning so frequently in everyday life that its nature generally goes unnoticed."
(H. Kahane and N. Cavender, Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric, 1998)
Pronunciation: in-DUK-shun
