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What is the atheist position on inductive logic. If there is no collective position, then what is your personal one?

Quote from: "rick"What is the atheist position on inductive logic. If there is no collective position, then what is your personal one?

the collective position is resistance is futile, you will be assimilated   i have no personal position we are atheist.

Quote from: "jcm"the collective position is resistance is futile, you will be assimilated i have no personal position we are atheist.

Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I'm trying to allow for the fact that there may not be a collective agreement.

Quote from: "rick"

Quote from: "jcm"the collective position is resistance is futile, you will be assimilated i have no personal position we are atheist.

Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I'm trying to allow for the fact that there may not be a collective agreement.

Sorry I could not resist.

Obviously there is no collective atheist position on this; atheism is lack of belief in a god or gods. Our assocation with each other often doesn't extend much further than this.

By atheists did you mean materialists/physicalists/naturalists? And what specifically about inductive logic did you want our opinion on? Or did you want us to just say "it's good" or "it's shite"...?

Quote from: "pjkeeley"Obviously there is no collective atheist position on this; atheism is lack of belief in a god or gods. Our assocation with each other often doesn't extend much further than this.

Point taken. Bear with me, I'm new.

Quote from: "pjkeeley"By atheists did you mean materialists/physicalists/naturalists?

Can I not address all three disciplines with the one question?

Quote from: "pjkeeley"And what specifically about inductive logic did you want our opinion on? Or did you want us to just say "it's good" or "it's shite"...?

If a simple yea or nay is what you're comfortable with sharing, then I'll take that. If you have more to add, please feel free to be as elaborate as you like.

Inductive logic is helpful but it's not the end all be all of evidence. Deductive reasoning is way better.

Quote from: "rick"Can I not address all three disciplines with the one question?

No, I don't think it would be fair to. Not all atheists are physicalists. Or naturalists, or materialists, or whatever. I think you would have been better off just asking what people on this forum think about the subject, rather than asking what atheists think. Also, here's a hot tip for making new threads: start by giving your own opinion or contributing something in the way of discussion before you ask other people what they think.

I use inductive reasoning every day so I guess that must mean I have some sort of fondness for it. And you?

Quote from: "pjkeeley"I think you would have been better off just asking what people on this forum think about the subject

I'm addressing atheists specifically only because there may be some theists in the forum and this question is not directed at them. (Not because I don't consider their answers valid, but because I'm quite certain I know their answer already.) How about if I re-phrase the question to include all non-theists?

Quote from: "pjkeeley"start by giving your own opinion or contributing something in the way of discussion before you ask other people what they think.

I find that when I state my own opinion at the outset, people sometimes tend to answer the opinion and ignore the question. But since you asked, I agree with Willravel. Deductive reasoning is better, but in the absence of conclusive facts inductive reasoning can be reliable enough to act upon as long as discretion is duly exercised.

Quote from: "rick"I find that when I state my own opinion at the outset, people sometimes tend to answer the opinion and ignore the question.

That's the idea. In responding to someone's opinion, you'll usually end up giving them a good insight into your own.

EDIT: and welcome to the forum by the way, Rick. Sorry, I've been a bit late coming.

Since atheism is a view held by people who are potentially of various backgrounds and likely just as numerous reasons for why they are atheist, you won't find a collective view about the value of inductive reasoning.

I think inductive reasoning is a valid approach to reaching general understanding about the world around us.  However, due to it's potentially incorrect nature, knowledge gained from that approach should be understood to be only tentatively acceptable until it is possible to find a more concrete answer.

I second WillRavel:

Quote from: "WillRavel"Deductive reasoning is way better.