Single Idea 16841

[catalogued under 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 4. Aims of Reason]

Full Idea

Among the inferential virtues commonly cited are mechanism, precision, scope, simplicity, fertility or fruitfulness, and fit with background beliefs.

Gist of Idea

Good inference has mechanism, precision, scope, simplicity, fertility and background fit

Source

Peter Lipton (Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd) [2004], 08 'the guiding')

Book Reference

Lipton,Peter: 'Inference to the Best Explanation (2nd ed)' [Routledge 2004], p.122


A Reaction

[He cites Hempel, Kuhn, Quine, and Newton-Smith] I take the over-arching term 'coherence' to cover much of this, though a bolder hypothesis offers more than mere coherence.