Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 18 Philosophical disagreements often appear deeper than they really are because different thinkers approach the same underlying problem from different conceptual perspectives. Like observers standing on opposite sides of the same mountain, they describe what they see in different languages, emphasize different features, and sometimes fail toContinue reading “Excursus 064 – On Viewing the Same Problem from Different Perspectives”
Tag Archives: induction
Excursus 060 – On the Problem of Induction after Hume
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 18 David Hume’s critique of induction is widely regarded as one of the decisive turning points in the philosophy of science. Hume did not deny that human beings routinely generalize from experience, nor did he question the practical success of scientific prediction. His challenge was more fundamental:Continue reading “Excursus 060 – On the Problem of Induction after Hume”
Excursus 058 – On the Ecology of Inference
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 18 It is often assumed that induction, deduction, Bayesian inference, and inference to the best explanation (IBE) are competing accounts of scientific reasoning. An alternative perspective is that they represent complementary modes of inference whose relative usefulness depends upon the quantity, organization, and reliability of the availableContinue reading “Excursus 058 – On the Ecology of Inference”
Excursus 040 – On the Allegory of the Cave and Induction
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 The orthodox interpretation holds that Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is not an account of empirical inquiry but a metaphysical drama of intellectual ascent: the shadows signify ignorance, the cave represents the sensible world, and liberation symbolizes the soul’s turn toward noēsis and knowledge of theContinue reading “Excursus 040 – On the Allegory of the Cave and Induction”
Excursus 039 – On Bacon’s Asymmetry of Induction and Deduction
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 Bacon’s principal target of criticism in Novum Organum I:30 was the upward movement from particulars to general propositions. He argued that the traditional method, which he termed inductio vulgaris (“vulgar induction”), merely gathered instances, leapt prematurely to universal statements, and then relied on syllogistic demonstration toContinue reading “Excursus 039 – On Bacon’s Asymmetry of Induction and Deduction”
Excursus 031 – On Extrapolation
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 In Aphorism I:70 of the Novum Organum (1620), Bacon warns that the evidential force of an experiment should remain “rooted in the experiment itself” unless its conclusions are transferred to other cases by a proper and orderly method. This caution anticipates what may be called extrapolationContinue reading “Excursus 031 – On Extrapolation”
Excursus 030 – On the Changing Landscape of Scientific Inquiry
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 In Aphorism I:61 of the Novum Organum (1620), Bacon argues that disagreements with earlier philosophers concern not the destination—truth itself—but the path by which it is reached. He illustrates this by observing that a lame man who follows the correct road will eventually outstrip a runnerContinue reading “Excursus 030 – On the Changing Landscape of Scientific Inquiry”
Excursus 026 – On the Asymmetry Between Verification and Falsification
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 In Aphorism I:46 of the Novum Organum (1620), Bacon observed that the human intellect naturally favors confirming instances while overlooking or explaining away contrary evidence. He therefore concluded that, in the establishment of a true axiom, the negative instance possesses greater evidential force than the affirmative.Continue reading “Excursus 026 – On the Asymmetry Between Verification and Falsification”
Excursus 016 – On the Progression of Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 It may be argued that, alongside the two methodological paths described by Bacon, there exists a third path that begins from experience but allows for the early projection of broad hypotheses, which then guide the search for intermediate propositions and empirical tests. These high-level generalizations guideContinue reading “Excursus 016 – On the Progression of Science”
Excursus 010 – On Induction: One Word, Several Meanings
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 The first explicit use of the term inductio in the aphoristic sequence of the Novum Organum marks a structural and methodological transition. Bacon moves from diagnosing the corruption of notions to proposing the methodological alternative on which the Instauratio depends. To avoid attributing later developments toContinue reading “Excursus 010 – On Induction: One Word, Several Meanings”
Hossein Jorjani 