1. Inductive Reasoning The role of argument forms in evaluating probabilities

2. Getting Started First, one becomes interested in something:

3. Getting Started First, one becomes interested in something: Y

4. Getting Started First, one becomes interested in something: Y Next, one notices some things about it:

5. Getting Started First, one becomes interested in something: Y Next, one notices some things about it: Y has properties a, b, c, n

6. Getting Started First, one becomes interested in something: Y Next, one notices some things about it: Because we somehow care about or are concerned about Y, a question arises: Y has properties a, b, c, n

7. Getting Started First, one becomes interested in something: Y Next, one notices some things about it: Because we somehow care about or are concerned about Y, a question arises: Is what we are able to observe or find out from someone else all we can know about Y? Y has properties a, b, c, n

8. The question becomes... What else is probably true of Y?

9. The question becomes... What else is probably true of Y?

10. The General Form of Inductive Reasoning We notice: Y has properties a, b, c, n

11. The General Form of Inductive Reasoning We notice: X has properties a, b, c, n We notice: Y has properties a, b, c, n

12. The General Form of Inductive Reasoning We notice: X has properties a, b, c, n We notice: Y has properties a, b, c, n We notice: X also has property p

13. The General Form of Inductive Reasoning We notice: X has properties a, b, c, n We notice: Y has properties a, b, c, n We notice: X also has property p In our minds, these facts resolve themselves into an argument almost automatically.

14. The General Form of Inductive Reasoning Premise 1: X has properties a, b, c, n Premise 2: Y has properties a, b, c, n Premise 3: X also has property p Conclusion: Y also has property p

15. The General Form of Inductive Reasoning Premise 1: X has properties a, b, c, n Premise 2: Y has properties a, b, c, n Premise 3: X also has property p Conclusion: Y also has property p This is obviously an inconclusive argument, but sometimes this amount of evidence is all we have to go on.

16. The Bottom Line For All Inductive Reasoning Is the conclusion of the argument more likely to be true than its contradictory?