PETE In Module 2 we have explored the conditional
and how it relates to the distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions.
We’ve also examined conditional statements and how they are used correctly or incorrectly.
The incorrect use of the conditional in arguments can lead to the fallacies of affirming the
consequent and denying the antecedent.
We also met the fallacies of composition and division, which can easily be made when discussing
the nature of mind.
DEB We saw how these concepts have been applied
in arguing that mind and body are distinct kinds of things and to thinking about what
makes someone the same person through time.
We also looked at the more general questions concerning identity and whether ordinary objects
are just collections of spatial and temporal parts.
PETE In the next module, we’ll move from the
certainty of deductive logic into another, more common form of reasoning: induction.
In particular, we'll be looking at how we generalise and analogise in our reasoning.
DEB It’s hard to imagine life without induction.
It’s used widely in formulating and testing hypotheses, identifying causal connections
and in much of our everyday planning and decision-making.
But there are some serious philosophical quandaries associated with induction that can make you
wonder whether this very common form of reasoning is even reasonable at all.