We explain what the inductive method is, its steps, possible problems and examples. Also, what is the deductive method.
What is the inductive method?
The inductive method or reasoning is that form of reasoning in which the truth of the premises supports but does not guarantee the conclusion .
It is characterized by being an expanded reasoning that is, the conclusion obtained is not contained in the premises (unlike the deductive method).
The classic form of inductive reasoning is the following:
- It is observed that every time X is given, Y is given.
- HE induces that whenever X occurs, Y occurs.
In all inductive reasoning It starts from particular observed premises that give rise to a general conclusion. . Even though it is difficult to prove the validity of a conclusion induced by this type of reasoning, they are considered valuable at a scientific level since they incorporate creativity and the possibility of risking innovative conclusions.
These conclusions, subject to considerations, tests and validation mechanisms, can lead to the expansion of accepted knowledge . Therefore, the inductive method is part of the scientific method, since it serves to expand knowledge of the real world.
The origin of the inductive method is located in the 17th century, particularly in the Novum organum scientiarum (“New Scientific Instruments”) by Francis Bacón (1561-1626), in which he specified the rules of the scientific method. Contrary to the Aristotelian tradition, Bacon tried to demonstrate the importance of inductive reasoning .
Later philosophers such as David Hume (1711-1776), John Herschel (1792-1871) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) continued the tradition inaugurated by Bacon and proposed different ways of approaching induction for rigorously scientific purposes.
Characteristics of the inductive method
Francis Bacon defines inductive reasoning as that reasoning that obtains the axioms of reasoning from the senses and particular facts . Broadly speaking, the inductive method is carried out according to three consecutive steps or stages, which are:
- First : The phenomenon of interest is observed. This step is common to practically all methods of science, and consists of obtaining information from the real world through the use of the senses and measuring instruments.
- Second : Possible patterns are established. This means that, based on the comparison and collation of data, we look for some correlation that is revealing or that is common enough to be considered general.
- Third : A theory is built. A general conclusion is composed, that is, one that attempts to account for all possible phenomena consistent with the case.
Examples of inductive method
Inductive reasoning is not exclusive to the scientific field. In everyday life we also make jumps or inductive inferences, that is, we go from the particular to the general. This can be seen in the following examples:
- Premise 1: My house is made of wood.
Premise 2: My parents' house is made of wood.
Premise 3. The houses in the town where I live are made of wood.
Conclusion: All houses are made of wood.
- Premise 1: Iron is a good conductor of electric current.
Premise 2: Copper is a good conductor of electrical current.
Conclusion: Metals are good conductors of electric current.
- Premise 1: When I drop an apple, it falls.
Premise 2: When I let go of a pencil, it falls.
Premise 3: When I drop a bottle, it falls.
Conclusion: All objects fall.
The problem of induction
The problem with induction is whether or not its results produce knowledge.
It is generally said that knowledge is a true and justified belief. In the case of induction, it is difficult to justify the truth value of the conclusion obtained . Karl Popper maintains that an experiment is not a verification of the theory that supports it but a particular case in which the theory works.
In the 17th century, David Hume explained the problem of induction by arguing that human reasoning comes from “relations of ideas” and “matters of fact.” If relations of ideas come from logic, questions of fact come from experience.
The induction of particular experiences, then, is nothing more than a contingency that is, the possibility or not of something happening. The conclusion of an induction can never be verifiable through the scientific method.
Deductive method
The deductive method is one in which the conclusion is already contained in the premises . It is a logical, verifiable and accurate deduction.
The most obvious case of deductive reasoning is the syllogism a short logical form that comes from classical Greco-Roman antiquity. In the syllogism, two premises (one general and one specific) guarantee the obtaining of a formally valid and certain conclusion, whose truth value will depend on that of the premises, and not on their validity.
It differs from the inductive method, in which the formal validity of the conclusion cannot be demonstrated. An example of a deductive method is the following syllogism:
- Premise 1. All living things die.
Premise 2. The human being is a living being.
Conclusion. All human beings die.
References
- Gamut, LTF, & Durán, C. (2002). Introduction to logic. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Eudeba.
- “Inductive reasoning” on Wikipedia.
- “The inductive method” (video) in Entelekia Summaries.
- “The inductive method. Successes and criticisms” (video) in Entelekia Summaries.
- “The inductive method” by Fernando Martínez Cabrera at the University of Nuevo León (Mexico).
