January 2012 – Rational Future

The Rationality of Induction

Induction is the idea that the past is a guide to the future. We believe the Sun will rise tomorrow because it has risen in the past. Unfortunately, attempts to prove that induction is rational have failed. In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, published in 1748, David Hume wrote: “That …

Ivan Phillips January 5, 2012 August 6, 2018 Ideal Rationality / Philosophy

Socrates must be mortal

All men are mortal, Socrates is a man, Therefore, Socrates must be mortal. This is the classic Socrates syllogism that has been used to illustrate deductive logic for ages. Deductive logic takes general rules and comes up with new specifics. “All men are mortal” is a general rule. That Socrates …

Ivan Phillips January 3, 2012 August 6, 2018 Ideal Rationality