OhioLINK History of Philosophy Website

Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
Micro Writing Assignment 5:
Analysis of Terms

Professor Gayle Ormiston

1. Using the reading selections for Whewell, Mill, and Peirce, provide definitions from each of Whewell, Mill, and Peirce for
  1. inference
  2. deduction
  3. induction
  4. hypothesis.
2. Find at least one definition in the relevant texts for each of the above terms. If you find more than one definition, then supply the additional too. But at the very least supply:
  1. defintion(s) given in the words of Whewell, Mill, and Peirce
  2. record/report the pages, paragraphs (numbered from the beginning of and within a specific readings), and the lines covered by the definitions.
  3. report any reference to KINDS of D, I, H, or INF
3. Use the Micro 5 Reporting Sheet (attached) to record and report your findings.

4. At the bottom of the Micro 5 Reporting Sheet, write a 2-4 line conjecture on this question:

What exactly are the "features" or "devices" of the statements recorded on the reporting sheet that lead you to identify and report a statement (or statements) by Whewell, Mill, and Peirce as a DEFINITION? In other words, what constitutes a definition in these writers texts?

Micro 5 Reporting Sheet: Please record your findings in the following table.

A. Definitions
DEFINITION Whewell Mill Peirce
i. inference
*
 ** *
ii. deduction
*
 * * *
iii. induction
*
 * * *
iv. hypothesis
*
 * * *

B. 2-4 Line Conjecture on the character of a definition in Whewell, Mill, and Peirce:

Micro 5 Report

1. Round-robin reading of 2-4 line conjectures on 'definition' in Whewell, Mill, and Peirce.

2. Round-robin reading of ONE definition from each of Whewell, Mill, and Peirce for each of the four terms:

  1. inference
  2. deduction
  3. induction
  4. hypothesis
3. Computer Classroom:

a. Among the four terms in 2 above, on what term(s) do you find the greatest resemblance between Whewell, Mill, and Peirce? What are some indications of these similarities?

b. Among the four terms in 2 above, on what term(s) do you find the greatest differences between Whewell, Mill, and Peirce? What are some indications of these differences?

This page is part of the OhioLINK History of Philosophy Instructional Website designed and developed by the Department of Philosophy at Kent State University. We are interested in any comments you may have concerning this Micro Writing Exercise. Send e-mail to the KSU Department of Philosophy Instructional Website Development Team or directly to Professor Gayle Ormiston, who designed this exercise.

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