View source for Counterinduction

In logic, '''counterinduction''' is the practice of elaborating a [[Philosophy:Paradigm|paradigm]] that contradicts and helps to question the current one by comparison. [[Biography:Paul Feyerabend|Paul Feyerabend]] argued for counterinduction as a way to test unchallenged scientific theories; unchallenged simply because there are no structures within the scientific paradigm to challenge itself (See Crotty, 1998 p. 39). For instance, Feyerabend is quoted as saying the following:
"Therefore, the first step in our criticism of customary concepts and customary reactions is to step outside the circle and either to invent a new conceptual system, for example, a new theory, that clashes with the most carefully established observational results and confounds the most plausible theoretical principles, or to import such a system from the outside science, from religion, from mythology, from the ideas of incompetents, or the ramblings of madmen." (Feyerabend, 1993, pp. 52-3)

This gets into the pluralistic methodology that Feyerabend espouses that will help support counterinductive methods. [[Biography:Paul Feyerabend|Paul Feyerabend]]'s [[Social:Anarchism|anarchist]] theory popularized the notion of counterinduction.

Most of the time when counterinduction is mentioned, it is not presented as a valid rule.  Instead, it is given as a refutation of [[Biography:Max Black|Max Black]]'s proposed inductive justification of induction, since the counterinductive justification of counterinduction{{jargon inline|date=January 2017}}  is formally identical to the inductive justification of induction.<ref>[http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/Materials/phil/Payne/spring03/160HumeproblemSp03.htm The Problem of Induction] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313180108/http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/Materials/phil/Payne/spring03/160HumeproblemSp03.htm |date=March 13, 2007 }}</ref> For further information, see [[Problem of induction]].

==See also==

* {{Annotated link |A priori and a posteriori}}
* {{Annotated link |Abductive reasoning}}
* {{Annotated link |Bayesian inference}}
* {{Annotated link |Hasty generalization}}
* {{Annotated link |Justified true belief}}
* {{Annotated link |Law of large numbers}}
* {{Annotated link |Solomonoff's theory of inductive inference}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Epistemology}}
{{philosophy of science}}
{{Positivism}}
[[Category:Inductive fallacies]]

{{Sourceattribution|Counterinduction}}