How do you know what you know?
Thinking about thinking. Learn about learning. This week, I want to talk about epistemology, a topic in philosophy I focused on starting in college. I am asking myself the question, how do I know what I know?
Dear Reader,
Thinking about thinking.
Learn about learning.
This week, I want to talk about epistemology, a topic in philosophy I focused on starting in college. I am asking myself the question, how do I know what I know?
Although seemingly straightforward, this question is much more complicated to answer once you think about it for about 10 seconds.
There are three main types of reasoning in semantic logic.
Deductive, inductive, and abductive.
Deductive reasoning is top-down. When we go from some general things and narrow them down to a specific conclusion, "If-then." This is the language of computation. If A > B and B > C, then A > C. It's the mathematics of concepts.
Inductive reasoning bottom-up. You start with an observation and draw a general conclusion that is a testable theory. It is the language of science, exploration, and theory. It moves from the particular to the general theory, using data and observations.
Abductive reasoning, the third type, is how we engage with the world the most. It is the language of default human thinking. Where inductive reasoning is inferential to the best explanation. What is the best answer for this observation? It starts with potential hypotheses, concludes that one of the hypotheses is the best explanation, and logically assumes the conclusion of your argument. Abductive reasoning is used in economics, AI, and, most interestingly, how we come to our worldviews.
Although we may think our conclusion or worldview is ironclad, we cannot deduce or even induce the conclusion. We employ abductive reasoning to explore a worldview, religion, politics, and personal philosophy. We conclude a claim is valid based on what we know about other claims. We infer from the BEST explanation with our incomplete knowledge and information.
What is the best explanation for x?
Which policy is most beneficial to the flourishing of my country?
Is there a God?
Is my decision right or wrong?
What led to the market recession?
For all of these, we primarily use abductive reasoning.
When you need to make a decision and don't have all the answers or information, but you do have some, you use abductive reasoning to navigate the world around you. It's not perfect, but sometimes, it's all we have.
When using metacognitive skills, it can be helpful to ask, "Is my reasoning mathematical, scientific, or… human?"
Always think about your thinking and think critically, lest you feel on autopilot and be possessed by whatever ideology surrounds you.
Forward this letter to your friends who are interested in philosophy, thinking about thinking, and learning about learning.
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Until next time,
Jake the Metacog