Abductive Logic·Rules·Lesson 3 of 5

Explanatory Virtues and Hypothesis Comparison

Explains how to compare candidate hypotheses using standards such as scope, fit, simplicity, and coherence, and warns against weighting only one virtue at the expense of the others.

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In this lesson · 7 sections · 5 worked examples · 2 practice activities

Scope: how much of the evidence does the hypothesis cover?
Fit: how precisely does the hypothesis match the evidence?
Simplicity: the proper role of parsimony
Coherence: fit with background knowledge
…and 3 more

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