Helmut, I think you are right that an inference can depend upon assumptions which are not among the explicitly stated premisses; but I don’t think premisses have to be explicitly stated to count as premisses. In his article on that word for Baldwin’s Dictionary, Peirce wrote that “the expression of a train of thought may be elliptical, some thought being unexpressed in the confident anticipation that the reader, or hearer, will supply it. But in thought, a premise or premiss cannot be suppressed without ceasing to be either premise or premiss. If it be so suppressed, it enters into the leading principle of the inference. Every reasoning must proceed consciously upon some general principle, or it ceases to be a reasoning, and becomes a mere feeling of inability to think otherwise. On the other hand, when a principle of reasoning becomes by analysis distinctly apprehended and the precise effect which it has upon the conclusion understood, it becomes a premise, or, at least, a premiss. There is, therefore, no such thing as a suppressed premiss.”
At any rate, I think Peirce is right that nobody makes an inference worthy of the name based on the assumption that reasoning that seems good is good. Gary f. From: Helmut Raulien [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 5-Oct-17 13:43 To: [email protected] Cc: 'Peirce List' <[email protected]> Subject: Aw: RE: [PEIRCE-L] Lowell Lecture 1.6 List, Peirce wrote:"When it is said that all inference “assumes that what seems to be good reasoning is so,” there is an inaccuracy of expression. For an inference assumes nothing but its premisses." I don´t agree. I think, that inferences also assume axioms (e.g. a deduction assumes transitivity). Or laws of probability (induction) or possibility (abduction). "Ultimate aim" and "esthetics" I think refer to universality (which is ultimate and beautiful), but the universality comes from the universal validness of the axioms and laws, doesn´t it? Best, Helmut
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