Abstract:

In his recent book, The Material Theory of Induction (MTI), John D. Norton argues that inductive inferences are powered and warranted by facts. In this talk, I wish to investigate the question of what powers logical inference in relation to Norton’s discussion. I first attempt to extend Norton's analysis to deductive inference and note that there may be potential tension between various notions of deductive entailment. Second, commenting on a common misreading of Norton that takes induction to covertly involve deduction, I develop an ostensible dilemma for his theory. Namely, according to the MTI either induction is, fundamentally, deduction, or else the MTI must make substantive metaphysical commitments about the world inappropriate for a theory of induction. I end by considering some responses to said dilemma.

Biography:

Elay Shech is an Associate Professor at Auburn University’s Department of Philosophy. His research interests include general philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, and philosophy of mathematics and statistics, and he also has a budding interest in philosophy of artificial intelligence and machine learning, philosophy of biology, aesthetics and the philosophy of art, and Buddhist philosophy. Dr. Shech received his PhD from the department of History and Philosophy of Science at University of Pittsburgh in the Spring of 2015 under the direction of John Earman and John D. Norton. He has held visiting fellowships at Durham University, National University of Singapore, University of Sydney, University of Bristol, and Utrecht University, and he was a visiting scholar/professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University.