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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2022
Starting with David Hume, most philosophers have maintained that it is illicit to argue that inductive arguments will be successful in the future because they have been successful in the past. This philosophic tradition claims that such an argument is circular since it is an attempt to prove the principle that the future will resemble the past by means of an inductive argument which principle all inductive arguments presuppose. Hans Reichenbach is such a philosopher but he goes on to add that even though induction can not be so justified, our using induction may be justified. Max Black, on the other hand, may be identified as one of the leaders of the movement which accepts what others deem the circular argument. In this paper the position of Reichenbach and Black will be examined.
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