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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Readers:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This document will not display correctly
when read as a plain text email.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Please read it as an HTML email.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Michael,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">As the next step in our discussion
about the nature of the alleged god claimed by Christ Church, it is important to
see whether we agree or not on the nature of the <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">inductive
process</SPAN></B> – empirical/quasi-empirical induction, <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">not</B> mathematical induction as defined
by the Peano Postulates.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">I beg for your patience in this
matter for I am old and slow-witted.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>This means that I must make sure that I have correctly and clearly
understood what you have said and to try to make my replies to you as clear and
precise as possible.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Being precise
sometimes means using longer, more technical explanations so that ambiguity can
be eliminated as far as possible or at least greatly reduced.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In my experience, a large part of being
unable to resolve disagreements of any kind occurs because the parties are each
using the same words to mean different things.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We need to avoid this pitfall, if we are
to have a fruitful discussion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">My being old and slow-witted also
means that I can only proceed by very small steps, since my capacity is severely
limited.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Arguments, Part
I<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">First of all, I think we are in
almost complete agreement about the fundamental difference between a deductive
argument and inductive argument.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">So as we do not get sidetracked by
irrelevant issues, I am intentionally restricting, I hope with your agreement,
our discourse to the English language, and I am also assuming that the
discussion will occur via email mainly by the exchange of sentences written in
English (see the definitions below) accompanied by perhaps a diagram or two
labeled and explained in English.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Let's start to find out the extent
of our agreement by seeing whether you agree, <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">for the purposes
of our discussion</SPAN></B>, with the following slightly downsized, but not
unelaborated, traditional characterizations of the nature of deductive and
inductive <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">arguments</SPAN></B>:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">An <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">argument</SPAN></B> can be described as a set of well formed
English sentence(s) called the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">premises</SPAN></B> and another set of well formed English
sentence(s) called the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">conclusion(s)</SPAN></B> <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: red">related
linguistically</SPAN></B> such that it is claimed that the truth of the
premise(s) support in some way the truth of the
conclusion(s).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Example:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[P1]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Navonod Carbuncle is a slovenly
know-it-all.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[P2]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Guido does not like slovenly
know-it-alls.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Therefore,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[C]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>It is unlikely that Guido will be
inviting Navonod Carbuncle to his next Tupperware/Lingerie
party.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">In the above argument {P1, P2} is
the premises and {C} is the conclusion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">A <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">valid deductive
argument</SPAN></B> can be described as a set of well formed English sentence(s)
called the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">premise(s)</SPAN></B> and another set of well formed English
sentence(s) called the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">conclusion(s)</SPAN></B> <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: red">related
linguistically</SPAN></B> such that <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: red">if</SPAN> the
premise(s) are assumed to true</B>, then by the very nature of the meaning of
the words in the sentences, and by the structure of the argument itself as a
whole, the conclusion(s) <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">must</B> <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">be taken as true</B>, provided that the
meaning of all the words in all the sentences of the argument stay consistently
and exactly the same throughout the entire argument.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Example:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[P1]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Navonod Carbuncle has the gray pallor of death
upon his visage.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[P2]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>All with the gray parlor of death upon their
visage die with seven years from its first appearance.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Therefore,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[C]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Navonod Carbuncle will die within seven
years.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">In the above argument {P1, P2} is
the premises and {C} is the conclusion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Thus, in short, the distinguishing
characteristic of a valid deductive argument is that in a valid deductive
argument the truth of the conclusion follows necessarily from the <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: red">assumption</SPAN></B> of the truth of the premises. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In other words, it would be impossible –
a contradiction – for the premises to be true and also for the conclusion to be
false.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">An <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">correct inductive
argument</SPAN></B> can be described as a set of well formed English sentence(s)
called the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">premise(s)</SPAN></B> and another set of well formed English
sentence(s) called the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">conclusion(s)</SPAN></B> <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: red">related
linguistically</SPAN></B> such that <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: red">if</SPAN> the
premise(s) are assumed to true</B>, then by the very nature of the meaning of
the words in the sentences, and by the structure of the argument itself as a
whole, the conclusion(s) <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">has some
probability, but not absolute necessity of being true</B>, provided that the
meaning of all the words in all the sentences stay consistently and exactly the
same throughout the entire argument.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Example:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[P1]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>There are round animal tracks in Amsalu's drive
which are about six inches in diameter with a claw mark at the end of each toe
imprint.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[P2]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Such tracks are usually made by
Cougars.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Therefore,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[C]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The footprints in Amsalu's driveway were
made by a cougar.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">In the above argument {P1, P2} is
the premises and {C} is the conclusion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Thus, in short, the distinguishing
characteristic of a correct inductive argument is that in a correct inductive
argument, some probability of the truth of the conclusion is established from
the <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: #ff6600">assumption</SPAN></B> of the truth of the
premises.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">However, in a correct inductive
argument, there is no claim that the truth of the premises absolutely
necessitates the truth of the conclusion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Further, other sentences whose truth is assumed may be added, such that
the conclusion of the argument can be different.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That is, the additions of these new
premises may change the probability of truth of the
conclusion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">To forestall possible questions
and problems, I have used above the term <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">well-formed</SPAN></B> <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue">sentences</SPAN></B> to remove from use in our discussion
of:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[1]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Syntactically malformed sentences
such as "Red that car is."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[2]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Sentences which are self-referring
or otherwise violate the Rule of Types such as "This sentence is false.",
and<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[3]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Syntactically correctly structured
sentences for which, because of their very structure and the use of words
therein, there are no apparent truth conditions, hence cannot be meaningfully
said to be true or false.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>An
example would be "Barbequed integers forge Jesus."<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Whether any particular sentence falls
into this category is, of course, open to discussion and to
investigation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Please notice in the
above,</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> I have <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: red">limited</SPAN></B>
the discussion so far to characterizing deductive and inductive </SPAN><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">arguments</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There is</SPAN><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> no</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> attempt in the above discussion
to characterize deductive or </SPAN><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">inductive
processes</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> or any
attempt to characterize </SPAN><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">induction</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> in general.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">To anticipate a question on your
part:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have used "set" terminology
in the characterizations of the types of arguments because in certain
anticipated parts of our discussion, using very elementary set notation will
save hundreds of words, will make certain sentences much easier to understand,
and will help us to be as clear and precise in our discussion as
possible.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Questions to
you:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[1]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Is the characterization <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">for the purposes
of our discussion</SPAN></B> of a valid deductive <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: red">argument</SPAN></B> an accurate characterization?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If not, why not?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 1in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">[2]<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Is the characterization <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">for the purposes
of our discussion</SPAN></B> of a correct inductive <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: red">argument</SPAN></B> an accurate characterization?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If not, why not?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">It is important for us to agree on
the definitions of deductive and inductive arguments before we proceed to a
discussion of your characterization of induction, which for the sake of
eliminating ambiguity, I will call the inductive process.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The discourse above is only a <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: blue">first</SPAN></B>
step in coming to an agreement about the nature of deductive and inductive <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="COLOR: red">arguments</SPAN></B> and their use in validating or partially
validating knowledge claims.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">I am not sure that we have any
real disagreement over what induction (the inductive process) as you have
described it is or how it works to validate knowledge claims.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Using as clear and precise language as
we progress can help us discover whether there is, in fact, a disagreement, and
if so, how that disagreement might be satisfactorily
resolved.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Thank you for your kindness and
patience in dealing with a slow-witted, old man who can only digest and deal
with esoteric subjects, if at all, a little bit at a time.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, writing the above has so
stretched and exhausted my meager and senile capabilities, that I must eat a
whole huckleberry cream pie just to start the long process of rejuvenating
myself.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I pray that some
goodhearted Vision 2020 reader will give me one.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">I look forward to your answers to
the two questions above.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>