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Inference to the Best Explanation
“We start from a trace and reason toward the story that would explain it best.”
01 / SUMMARY
In short
Abduction selects an explanation using virtues such as scope, coherence, simplicity, or fit. Its exact form and how strongly it warrants belief remain disputed.
03 / SCENE
In the wild
The ground is wet, clouds hang overhead, and umbrellas are open; rain explains the set better than a local leak, though not deductively.
04 / LIMIT
The limit
The best explanation among those considered can still be false when an important alternative is missing.
FINAL NOTE
What remains
Compare rivals, seek novel predictions, and keep the conclusion revisable.