ABSTRACT
People often write as if it were quite clear what the problem of induction is, and only unclear how it is to be solved or shown to be insoluble. The bit of lint is not even a poor reason for thinking Eisenhower dead, it is no reason at all. Inductive reasoning is not the only place at which it has been said Here it must be supposed that a premiss is suppressed. The problem of induction is not solved by saying that what entitles us to draw a conclusion about the future from a report of a past correlation is the fact that the report is of necessity reason for the statement about the future. Smith's saying the thing is so is given his character and the nature of the topica reason for thinking is although Jones' saying it is so would be no reason at all for thinking. Certain moral philosophers have at any rate appeared to deny this.
