What Powers Inductive Inference?

2021 ◽  
pp. 55-88
Keyword(s):  
Inductive Inference

Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Stegenga
Keyword(s):  
Medical Practice ◽  
Evidence Based Medicine ◽  
Inductive Inference ◽  
Formal Theory ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Master Argument ◽  
Medical Interventions ◽  
Concepts Of Disease ◽  
Based Medicine

This chapter introduces the book, describes the key arguments of each chapter, and summarizes the master argument for medical nihilism. It offers a brief survey of prominent articulations of medical nihilism throughout history, and describes the contemporary evidence-based medicine movement, to set the stage for the skeptical arguments. The main arguments are based on an analysis of the concepts of disease and effectiveness, the malleability of methods in medical research, and widespread empirical findings which suggest that many medical interventions are barely effective. The chapter-level arguments are unified by our best formal theory of inductive inference in what is called the master argument for medical nihilism. The book closes by considering what medical nihilism entails for medical practice, research, and regulation.

scholarly journals Naturalizing Logic: How Knowledge of Mechanisms Enhances Inductive Inference

Philosophies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Paul Thagard
Keyword(s):  
Causal Inference ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Inductive Inference ◽  
Counterfactual Reasoning

This paper naturalizes inductive inference by showing how scientific knowledge of real mechanisms provides large benefits to it. I show how knowledge about mechanisms contributes to generalization, inference to the best explanation, causal inference, and reasoning with probabilities. Generalization from some A are B to all A are B is more plausible when a mechanism connects A to B. Inference to the best explanation is strengthened when the explanations are mechanistic and when explanatory hypotheses are themselves mechanistically explained. Causal inference in medical explanation, counterfactual reasoning, and analogy also benefit from mechanistic connections. Mechanisms also help with problems concerning the interpretation, availability, and computation of probabilities.

scholarly journals On the power of inductive inference from good examples

1993 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Freivalds ◽  
E.B. Kinber ◽  
R. Wiehagen
Keyword(s):  
Inductive Inference

Hyperactivity of Associations in Psychosis

1989 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Miller
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Inductive Inference ◽  
Great Variability ◽  
Acute Psychosis ◽  
Variable Response ◽  
Neuroleptic Treatment ◽  
High Anxiety ◽  
Associative Processes ◽  
Psychotic State ◽  
Anxiety Levels

Disordered associative processes have long been regarded as central to the psychological description of psychotic states such as acute schizophrenia. Previous work is briefly summarised concerning the idea that hyperactive associative processes of thought underlie many of the symptoms of psychosis. The idea is developed further, with respect to several features of the psychotic state. Schneiderian symptoms are seenas a consequence of hyperactive associations of thought, combined with perceptual hypersensitivity characteristic of many psychotic individuals. Anxiety in psychotic states is seen as arising from the great ambiguity of mental images when associations are loosened. A vicious circle between high anxiety and hyperactive associations is postulated. The slow and variable response to neuroleptic treatment is seen as being determined in part by the dynamics of change of the memories acquired during a period of hyperactive associations. This essay has dealt exclusively with the positive (productive) symptoms of psychosis, and their treatment. It has briefly traced the origin of the idea that hyperactive associations of thought (i.e. of inductive inference) play an important part in the psychology of acute psychosis. Further it has attempted to show that this idea can be extended to give an account of Schneiderian symptoms, the high anxiety levels commonly found in acute psychosis, as well as the great variability in the rate and extent of response to drug treatment. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are not included in the discussion. Some of these symptoms are not responsive to neuroleptic drugs. This leads one to suspect that other pathological processes in addition to those discussed above may be involved in the genesis of the negative symptoms.

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