What kinds of things are studied?
Inductive reasoning (scientific reasoning) is the kind of thinking used by Sherlock Holmes in the works by A. Conan Doyle. This kind of reasoning involves the claim, not that reasons give conclusive evidence for the truth of a conclusion, but that they provide some support for it. A unique feature of the course is the study of some examples of pseudo science such as astrology, Bermuda Triangle, and unexplained phenomena. Other examples studies are taken from Scientific American, American Scientist, Science, Nature, and Science News. The heart of the course, however, emphasizes the inquiry into the basic methods of inductive or probabilistic inquiry, and the investigation of techniques for solving problems under uncertainty. You will learn some of the most effective methods of inquiry, analysis, and criticism in the fields of the physical, social, and political sciences. This study of scientific reasoning involves a survey of the methods of induction and experimental inquiry. Classical
