The Problem of Induction
March 7, 2014
Chevonne McNish
Paper Assignment #1
Philosophy
The article: "The Problem of Induction" is understood by the writer Bertrand Russell as: whether the laws of nature that have held in the past will continue to hold in the future. He reflects on our daily subconscious assumptions. Thesis: If we accept Russell's claims about induction as true, there are several consequences we may face. Due to human naiveness, we may have been so used to the way things are that, if they changed, we would not know what to do if a disaster that we have always thought impossible were to strike . For example, if the sun did not rise in the morning, we'd wake up in the dark. At first we'd think there was something wrong with our clocks, but later realize along with our fellow confused neighbors that something is really wrong..since this has never happened before, we are not prepared for it and we would have no idea the effects other than what is scientifically predicted. America was not prepared for 9/11, but after it happened, we began preparing for it to happen again.
If I were to answer the question Russell challenges us to answer, that, starting tomorrow, could stones nourish us and bread be inedible? Yes. An edible, soft, or appetite enticing stone might be discovered and be tested to contain minerals, and taste good too! You could also elaborate - proposing that maybe stones ARE edible when ground down, fine like sand. I would then begin to research if that has ever been done. As for the bread turning inedible tomorrow? Well, I bought a loaf of bread at the store the other day that my daughter and I both agreed tasted like dirt. What if I were to complain to the store manager, in return contact the manufacturer or distributor of the raw ingredients. The bread or ingredients are tested and a deadly substance was found, and bread can no longer be made? These elaborations definitely make me believe that the impossible may very well become possible. Today,
Chevonne McNish
Paper Assignment #1
Philosophy
The article: "The Problem of Induction" is understood by the writer Bertrand Russell as: whether the laws of nature that have held in the past will continue to hold in the future. He reflects on our daily subconscious assumptions. Thesis: If we accept Russell's claims about induction as true, there are several consequences we may face. Due to human naiveness, we may have been so used to the way things are that, if they changed, we would not know what to do if a disaster that we have always thought impossible were to strike . For example, if the sun did not rise in the morning, we'd wake up in the dark. At first we'd think there was something wrong with our clocks, but later realize along with our fellow confused neighbors that something is really wrong..since this has never happened before, we are not prepared for it and we would have no idea the effects other than what is scientifically predicted. America was not prepared for 9/11, but after it happened, we began preparing for it to happen again.
If I were to answer the question Russell challenges us to answer, that, starting tomorrow, could stones nourish us and bread be inedible? Yes. An edible, soft, or appetite enticing stone might be discovered and be tested to contain minerals, and taste good too! You could also elaborate - proposing that maybe stones ARE edible when ground down, fine like sand. I would then begin to research if that has ever been done. As for the bread turning inedible tomorrow? Well, I bought a loaf of bread at the store the other day that my daughter and I both agreed tasted like dirt. What if I were to complain to the store manager, in return contact the manufacturer or distributor of the raw ingredients. The bread or ingredients are tested and a deadly substance was found, and bread can no longer be made? These elaborations definitely make me believe that the impossible may very well become possible. Today,