[Inquiry] Re: Examples Of Inquiry -- Discussion

[Jon Awbrey]

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

EOI.  Discussion Note 10

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

JA = Jon Awbrey
JD = John Dewey
TG = Tom Gollier

In: EOI Dis.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/2004-November/thread.html#1707
Re: EOI Dis 7.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/2004-November/001717.html

TG: In Discussion Note 7 you write:

JA: Also, the inference from coolness to rain is abductive not deductive.

TG: This is rather hard for me to envision in terms of either your drawing
    or mine.  How is "rain" something that explains anything in either of
    our diagrams?  If we redo your drawing:

o------------------------------------------------------------o
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `o Sign (Thought of Rain) ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| Object (Rain) o-------O ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `o Interpretant (Quicken his pace)`|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
o------------------------------------------------------------o
Figure 1".  Sign Relation in Dewey's "Rainy Day Inquiry"

TG: then "rain" would make sense as an abductive inference, for we would be
    abductively inferring that "rain" is the explanation of the man quickening
    his pace. This obviously changes the example, but I'm wondering if this
    is what you have in mind in saying "rain" is the product of an abductive
    inference?

Tom,

This where the viscosity of the wicket has been bedeviling me
for the last 15 years or so, and I have this deja vu feeling
that we had this same discussion on the Peirce List 2 or 3
years ago, so I'll look up the notes of that time around
and see whether I've got any new ideas about it ...

The problem is that we have two styles of diagrams,
the sign relational and the syllogistic triagrams:

o-------------------------------------------------o
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `o Sign ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` Object o---------O` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `o Interpretant ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
o-------------------------------------------------o
Figure 10.1  Elementary Sign Relation

o-------------------------------------------------o
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` Z ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `\` Rule` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | Ab` > \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `\ /` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` Fact` | <-o-De` o Y ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `/ \` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | In` > / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `/` Case` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` X ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
o-------------------------------------------------o
Figure 10.2  Three Kinds of Inference

The diagram that makes the abductive character of the
inference clear is the following syllogistic figure,
where the case that it's about to rain is abduced
from the fact that the air is cooler and the
rule that cooler air implies that it's
about to rain.

o-------------------------------------------------o
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `Air Cool ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` A ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ^^` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `\` Rule` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |A` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | b ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `d` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` Fact` | ` u ` ` o 'Bout To Rain ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `c` `^` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` e / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `/` Case` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` C ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` `Current Situation` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
o-------------------------------------------------o
Figure 10.3  Abduction of Case from Fact and Rule

TG: Dewey seems to exhibit the same aversion to looking at the
    original example as a form of deduction despite the fact he
    does what to distinguish it from just seeing the image of
    something in the clouds.  He writes in a footnote after
    listing "points to, tells of, betokens, prognosticates,
    represents, stands for, implies" as synonyms for what
    has occurred in the example example of inferring the
    possibility of rain.

JD: "*Implies* is more often used when a principle or general truth brings
    about belief in some other truth;  the other phrases are more frequently
    used to denote the cases in which one fact or event leads us to believe
    in something else."  [Fn 2, MW 6.187]

But our peripatetic protagonist is not certain it will rain,
neither on the data of cool air, nor on the evidence of
dark clouds, nor even on the cumulation of both facts,
so any notion of exact deductive inference would be
precipitous at best.  To say that we deduce the
possibility of rain is fudging the issue,
since the mere possibility of rain is
always present, in any case, dataful
or dataless.

TG: But, (1) I don't think Peirce would limit implication or deduction
    in that formalistic kind of way and (2) even inferring facts from
    facts to facts we still employ a diagrammatic representation
    transitively as a sign.  Thus, smoke "points to, tells of,
    betokens, prognosticates, represents, stands for" fire
    because we use a diagrammatic conjunction of those
    two facts, smoke and fire, to infer the one from
    the other. This may not be the stuff of
    "general truths", but it does seem to
    be generally "deductive" rather than
    abductive or inductive?

Dewey is invoking "implication" very loosely here,
more-ally or less-ally equivalent to "inference",
with respect to which we admit demonstrative
and non-demonstrarive varieties, all tolled,
but the inferences to rain or fire are not
certain in these cases, so not deductive.

Jon Awbrey

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