Philosophy of science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy of science - Essay Example Such arguments have now resulted in the creation of a philosophical problem, the problem of induction that stands disputed, especially in case of the scientists that are in continuation of using this technique of considering limited number of instances to derive a universal formula. In order to understand the problem of induction, the example of swans will be evident to provide an effective understanding of the issue. By means of induction, it was a universal principle that swans are white, as few centuries ago, people had only seen white swans, and the scientists were inclined to derive the declaration that all swans are white. In this regard, scientists have until today continued to magnify specific observations to create common principles to carry out their planning for prospects of the physical world. However, the major argument of the adversaries of this methodology argues regarding the validity of such suppositions based on only finite observations. Until today, various experts2 have argued over the problem of induction; however, historical evidence indicates that David Hume was the first person to inquire about this issue, and carry out analysis accordingly. During his analysis, he wrapped up by saying that inductive suppositions do not carry any logical explanations, and thus, it is incorrect for scientists to originate universal theories based on such finite observations3. In response, various philosophers endeavored to come up with a solution; however, this problem of induction has remained a major problem in the Western philosophy due to its disputed nature. In this regard, Hume enjoys huge number of advocates until today; however, few of the experts have criticized Hume’s critique on the problem while concluding that although such inferences do not carry justifications4. However, it is erroneous to specify that science depend on the