The Commens Dictionary

Quote from ‘Harvard Lectures on Pragmatism: Lecture VI’

Quote: 

Abduction is the process of forming an explanatory hypothesis. It is the only logical operation which introduces any new idea; for induction does nothing but determine a value, and deduction merely evolves the necessary consequences of a pure hypothesis.

Deduction proves that something must be; Induction shows that something actually is operative; Abduction merely suggests that something may be.

Date: 
1903
References: 
CP 5.171
Citation: 
‘Deduction’ (pub. 02.02.13-10:24). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-harvard-lectures-pragmatism-lecture-vi-1.
Posted: 
Feb 02, 2013, 10:24 by Sami Paavola
Last revised: 
Jan 07, 2014, 01:00 by Commens Admin