Frank Ramsey on Induction: Why Validity Is the Wrong Standard

Frank Ramsey's treatment of induction starts from a general account of inference. He argues that premises and conclusion alone do not fully specify an inference. It also needs the rule by which the conclusion is drawn. This holds for deductive and inductive arguments alike, though the rule differs in kind between them. Deductive rules preserve truth. Inductive rules do not. Inductive rules are judged instead by how reliably they extend belief from observed cases to unobserved ones. This three-pa...