John D. Norton (Pitt): “The Material Theory of Induction”

Abstract: According to the material theory of induction, there are no universal rules governing inductive inference. Rather inductive inferences are warranted by background facts specific to the domain of application. My talk will introduce the theory, show how it is applied and suggest that, while Bayesian analysis can be very productive in appropriate domains, it cannot provide a universal account of inductive inference.

John D. Norton is a philosopher of physics and Distinguished Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of The Material Theory of Induction, available Open Access through the BSPS Open: https://press.ucalgary.ca/books/9781773852539/.