‽istis reclaims inference and many kinds of …duction (weekending May 1st 2021)
This
week when: in the UK the on-going issue of the personal, professional and political
integrity of the Prime Minister seems to be under a spotlight (or should that
be under tasteful interior designer lighting) again; in Russia the integrity of
the system of government and its leadership is seemingly challenged again from
the precariousness of a courtroom; in the US the integrity of the office of the
President seems perhaps somewhat restored in a speech to Congress; in India earlier
decisions and seeming triumphalism about tackling the pandemic are questioned
and the evidence of the impact is devastating … (and
you may add your own examples from wherever you may be, including perhaps from
within our own, far less scrutinised lives)…
‽istis
wonders about inference and various ‘…ductions’ (an intro-duction to some
not very well formulated thoughts, perhaps?)
Three
types of inference perhaps dominate the discussion and the definitions – all prefixing
…duction from the Latin: ‘ducere’ - to lead:
·
De-/lead from: deduction deriving from
generally accepted statements or ‘facts’ - from idea to observation to ‘evidence’,
and inference…
·
In-/lead to: induction leading to a generalisation
- from observation to idea, and inference…
·
Ab-/lead away: taking away the best
explanation - extension from ‘evidence’ to further probable conclusion, and inference…
And
‽istis wonders whether inferences and how they are formed; how they link to
other apparent things such as heuristics, maxims and principles; and what they may
lead to on a personal, interpersonal, social, political and cultural level in
terms of behaviour, practice and policy – and the related outcomes - might bear and perhaps require some greater scrutiny and light?
Meanwhile
another train of thought begins to pick up steam – wonderings about other …ductions and ways to lead or perhaps mislead:
‽
pro-duction (the means or the art?)
‽
re-duction (the specific sale or the general diminishment?)
‽
con-duction (the orchestration and the management - or the dissipation of, for
example, heat?)
‽
e-ducation (not enough, not available, lost or inequitably distributed - leading
to apparent errors and typos?)
‽
no-duction (agreement and nodding through without scrutiny?)
‽
quo-duction (going along with things, like ‘everyone else’ or to maintain things
as they are – by those who are favoured, or those who think they benefit, or
those just do not have the energy for change, or those who perhaps just can’t
be bothered?)
‽
se-duction (wooed, beguiled or tricked into go along with?)
‽
alco/wee-duction (led whilst under the influence?)
‽
oo-duction (basing one’s life on the ways of the Ood, or
being enslaved and led - see ‘Dr Who’: ‘A
hive-minded, peaceful race of alien telepaths, who due to their docile nature
are often farmed and enslaved by humans.’ ?[i])
– or should that be ou-duction (basing one’s life on ideas formed while
meditating to the sound of an oud being played?)
‽
Te-duction (following the apparent lessons from inspirational TED talks?[ii])
…and
then it was time to take ‽istis’s dog for a walk, or perhaps, possibly, maybe
it was time to be taken for a walk by ‽istis’s dog? Now where is that lead…?
©
Pistis
NB: further reflections and comments linked to
this week’s theme and past blog
entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily
indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’:
@Pistis_wonders
