Skip to main content
Log in

Logical probability, mathematical statistics, and the problem of induction

  • Published:
Synthese Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In this paper I want to discuss some basic problems of inductive logic, i.e. of the attempt to solve the problem of induction by means of a calculus of logical probability. I shall try to throw some light upon these problems by contrasting inductive logic, based on logical probability, and working with undefined samples of observations, with mathematical statistics, based on statistical probability, and working with representative random samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Bibliography

  1. Carnap, R.,Logical Foundations of Probability, Chicago 1950; [1a] 2nd ed. 1962.

  2. Carnap, R.,The Continuum of Inductive Methods, Chicago 1952.

  3. Carnap, R., ‘The Aim of Inductive Logic’ inLogic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science (ed. by E. Nagel, P. Suppes, and A. Tarski), Stanford 1962.

  4. Carnap, R., ‘Probability and Induction’, in:The Philosophy of Rudolf Carnap (ed. by P. A. Schilpp), La Salle, Ill. 1963.

  5. Feller, W.,An Introduction to Probability Theory and its Applications, New York 1957.

  6. Hintikka, J., ‘Towards a Theory of Inductive Generalisation’, inProceedings of the 1964 Congress for Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (ed. by Y. Bar-Hillel), Amsterdam 1965.

  7. Hintikka, J., ‘On a Combined System of Inductive Logic’,Acta Philosophica Fennica 18 (1965), 21–30.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hintikka, J., ‘A Two-Dimensional Continuum of Inductive Methods', inAspects of Inductive Logic (ed. by J. Hintikka and P. Suppes), Amsterdam 1966.

  9. Hintikka, J. and J. Pietarinen, ‘Semantic Information and Inductive Logic’, inAspects of Inductive Logic (ed. by J. Hintikka and P. Suppes), Amsterdam 1966.

  10. Kendall, M. G. and A. Stuart,The Advanced Theory of Statistics, London 1961.

  11. Popper, K. R.,The Logie of Scientific Discovery, London 1959.

  12. Vetter, H.,Wahrscheinlichkeit und logischer Spielraum, Tübingen 1967.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vetter, H. Logical probability, mathematical statistics, and the problem of induction. Synthese 20, 56–71 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00567236

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00567236

Keywords

Navigation