Critical Thinking Chapter 9

Front 1

What is an explanation?

Back 1

A statement or statements intended to tell why or how something is the case.

Front 2

What is inference to the best explanation?

Back 2

A form of inductive reasoning in which we reason from premises about a state of affairs to an explanation for the state o affairs.

Front 3

Is inference to the best explanation inductive of deductive?

Back 3

Inductive

Front 4

What is a theoretical explanation?

Back 4

A theoretical explanation is an explanation that serves as a theory, or hypothesis, used to explain why something is the way it is, why something is the case, or why something happened.

Front 5

What is the basic logical pattern of inference to the best explanation?

Back 5

Phenomenon Q.
E provides the best explanation fro Q.
Therefore, it is probable that E is true.

Front 6

What is the basic logical pattern of inference to the best explanation for enumerative induction?

Back 6

We reason from premises about some members of a group to a conclusion, or generalization, about the group as a whole.

Front 7

What is the basic logical pattern of inference to the best explanation for analogical induction?

Back 7

We reason that since two or more things are similar in several respects, they must be similar in some additional respect.

Front 8

Under what circumstances can an inference to the best explanation be deemed strong?

Back 8

If the explanations of the arguments really are the best

Front 9

Under what circumstances can an inference to the best explanation be deemed cogent?

Back 9

If the premises are also true

Front 10

What is a teleological explanation?

Back 10

try to explain the purpose of something, how if functions, or how it fits into a plan.

Front 11

What is an Interpretive explanation?

Back 11

they try to explain the meaning of terms or states of affairs

Front 12

What is a procedural explanation?

Back 12

they try to explain how something is done or how an action is carried out.

Front 13

What is a causal explanation? Are causal explanations used in inference to the best explanation?

Back 13

A causal explanation is a kind of theoretical explanation. Like all theoretical explanations, causal explanations are used in inference to the best explanation.

Front 14

How does the kind of explanation used in inference to the best explanation differ from a teleological explanation or an interpretive explanation?

Back 14

With inference, we reason from premises about a state of affairs to an explanations for this state of affairs.
Teleological explanation try to explanations try to explain to purpose of something, how it functions, or how it fits into a plan.
Interpretive explanation concerns the meaning of terms of states of affairs.

Front 15

In theory evaluation, what is the minimum requirement of consistency?

Back 15

The minimum requirement of consistency is the criterion that any theory worth considering must have both internal and external consistency-that is, be free of contradictions and be consistent with the data the theory is supposed to explain.

Front 16

What are the criteria of adequacy?

Back 16

The standards used to judge the worth of explanatory theories. They include testability, fruitfulness, scope, simplicity, and conservatism.

Front 17

What does it mean to say that a theory to be testable?

Back 17

A testable theory is one in which there is some way to determine whether the theory is true or false-that is, it predicts something other that what is was introduced to explain.

Front 18

What does it mean to say that a theory is fruitful?

Back 18

Fruitfulness is a criterion of adequacy for judging the worth of theories. A fruitful theory is one that makes novel predictions.

Front 19

What does it mean to say that a theory is conservative?

Back 19

A conservative theory is one that fits with our established beliefs.

Front 20

What does it mean to that that a theory does not have much scope?

Back 20

A theory that does not have much scope is one that explains very little-perhaps only the phenomenon it was introduced to explain and not much else.

Front 21

What are the risk involved in accepting a nonconservative theory?

Back 21

1. The chances of the new belief being true are not good.
2. The conflict of beliefs undermines our knowledge.
3. The conflict of beliefs lessens our understanding.

Front 22

Ad hoc hypothesis

Back 22

A hypothesis, or theory, that cannot be verified independently of the phenomenon it's supposed to explain. It always makes a theory less simple, and therefore less credible.

Front 23

Test formula

Back 23

Step 1: State the Theory and check for consistency.
Step 2: Assess the Evidence for the theory.
Step 3: Scrutinize alternative theories.
Step 4: Test the theories with the criteria of adequacy.

Front 24

Deductive argument

Back 24

an argument intended to provide conclusive support for its conclusion

Front 25

Inductive argument

Back 25

an argument intended to provided probable support for its conclusion