[Inquiry] Re: Examples Of Inquiry -- Discussion

[Jon Awbrey]

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EOI.  Discussion Note 12

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JA = Jon Awbrey
TG = Tom Gollier

Re: EOI 9.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/2004-November/001762.html
In: EOI.    http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/2004-November/thread.html#1704

TG: Even if we look at abduction as inferring this is a case of
    some rule rather than of an explanation (although those are
    just two ways of saying the same thing anyway), I don't see
    where "rain" is what is being adduced.  For the abduction
    according the way I would look at it would be that:

TG: - This is a case of air getting cool

As "Case", "Fact", "Rule" are used in this context, this is a Fact,
in other words, the major premiss "C => A", paraphrased something
like "the current situation is one in which the air is cooler".
You can tell it's a Fact because it is taken as 100% certain,
a done deal, that the air is cooler.  If the ambler doubts
his senses, that is a horse of another cooler, and not
at all not the situation that we are discussing here.

TG: And that this abduction, when combined with the rule that:

TG: - Cool air is an indication of rain

For this to be a Rule in the deductive sense, you would have to delete
the expletive fudge factor "indication" and state simply that A => B,
in other words, "If the Air is cooler then it's Bound to rain".

TG: allows our hero to deduce rain may very well be in the offing.

But the deductive inference is apodictic, bound, certain,
demonstrative, exact, and does not allow of the modality
that you admit as "may very well be" in your conclusion.

TG: But, then, looking at your diagram:

o-----------------------------------------------------------o
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `Air Cool ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` A ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ^^` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `\` Rule` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |A` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | b ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `d` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` Fact` | ` u ` ` o Before Rain ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `c` `^` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` e / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` `/ `Case` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` | / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` C ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `Current Situation` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
o-----------------------------------------------------------o
Figure 7.  Abducing a Case from a Fact and a Rule

TG: while it does have the "current situation" in the place of "rain" 
    as the object, it strangely reverses the "case" and the "fact". 
    It would seem the case (or minor premise) should tie the current 
    situation to the antecedent of the rule, or "cool air" in this
    case, while the fact (or conclusion) should link the current 
    situation to the consequent, rain or "before rain"?

The rule of thumb for telling a fact from a case
is that the fact is evident on the face of things,
while the case tends to be a more inobvious cause.

TG: I hope you're not tiring of this exercise,
    and remaining stuck on Notes 1 or 2 as it were,
    but I think it's important to take examples as
    concretely analyzable in their own right rather
    than abstract exemplifications of principles more
    abstract still.  To me it's the difference Dewey
    makes between inferring rain from the clouds
    and seeing faces in them.

No, the hike has been healthy exercise so far.
I think that a satisfactory analysis of this
humble excursion would go a long way toward
understanding the true relationship between
signs and inquiry, and also the development
that Peirce and much later Dewey underwent.

Jon Awbrey

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