Qualitative Inductive Generalization and Confirmation

Abstract

Inductive generalization is a defeasible type of inference which we use to reason from the particular to the universal. First, a number of systems are presented that provide different ways of implementing this inference pattern within first-order logic. These systems are defined within the adaptive logics framework for modeling defeasible reasoning. Next, the logics are re-interpreted as criteria of confirmation. It is argued that they withstand the comparison with two qualitative theories of confirmation, Hempel’s satisfaction criterion and hypothetico-deductive confirmation.