An introductory text-book of logic - Mellone, Sydney - Rare Books at ...

228 THE GENERAL NATURE OF INDUCTION.
In such a syllogism,
twinkle" i.
(An. Post., 13).
the is major what (in the modern phrase) would be
called an
found to be uniformly the fact, but for which no reason
"
empirical law," stating something which is
has as yet been found why
Having grasped the true function of the major prem
ise, we have grasped the true problem of Induction.
The aim of Inductive Logic is to give a general
it is so rather than otherwise.
account of the methods by which general principles or
Laws of Nature, which are fitted to serve as major
premises, may be established. In other words, In
ductive Logic aims at understanding and classifying
the Methods of the Sciences ; for all Science consists
in discovering
Laws of Nature. There can be no
opposition between Induction and Deduction ; for we
shall see that Laws of Nature cannot be established
without the help of Deduction. But the starting-point
is different in the two processes : in Deduction, we
start with general principles;
in Induction,
with facts
of observation, not yet raised to the rank of principles.
2. It is not only in scientific matters that we employ
inductive methods. In the commonest affairs we are
continually seeking to explain or account for what hap
pens, and in doing so we employ, in a germinal, ele
mentary form, the genuine method of science.
These "germinal" inductions of ordinary life were
noticed by Aristotle, under the heads of
"
Inductive
syllogism," "Enthymeme," and "Paradeigma" (Ex
ample, or Analogy).
The term Induction (eira^w^rf) is limited by Aris
totle to the process which he calls the
syllogism." He says that Induction
part to whole ; we realise, as it were,
"
"
"
reasons
Inductive
from
the truth about
the whole by going through the truths about the parts.