[Inquiry] Re: Introduction to Inquiry Driven Systems

[Jon Awbrey]

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o

INTRO.  Note 16

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o

2.1.  The Pragmatic Approach to Inquiry (cont.)

For our present purposes, the first feature to note in distinguishing the
three principal modes of reasoning from each other is whether each of them
is exact or approximate in character.  In this light, deduction is the only
one the three types of reasoning that can be made exact, in essence, always
deriving true conclusions from true premisses, while abduction and induction
are unavoidably approximate in their modes of operation, involving elements
of fallible judgment in practice and inescapable error in their application.

The reason for this is that deduction, in the ideal limit, can be
rendered a purely internal process of the reasoning agent, while
the other two modes of reasoning essentially demand a constant
interaction with the outside world, a source of phenomena and
problems that will no doubt continue to exceed the capacities
of any finite resource, human or machine, to master.  Situated
in this larger reality, approximations can be judged appropriate
only in relation to their context of use and can be judged fitting
only with regard to a purpose in view.

A parallel distinction that is often made in this connection is to
call deduction a "demonstrative" form of inference, while abduction
and induction are classed as "non-demonstrative" forms of reasoning.
Strictly speaking, the latter two modes of reasoning are not properly
called inferences at all.  They are more like controlled associations
of words or ideas that just happen to be successful often enough to be
preserved as useful heuristic strategies in the repertoire of the agent.
But non-demonstrative ways of thinking are inherently subject to error,
and must be constantly checked out and corrected as needed in practice.

Jon Awbrey

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
inquiry e-lab: http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o