Essay On The Ravens Problem

612 Words2 Pages

In this essay, I will explain the components of the Ravens problem, its paradoxical and questionable conclusion, and the possible solutions to its faults. There are three premises that constitute this problem. The first premise says that a statement such as “All roses are red” is logically equivalent to statement “All non-red things are non-roses.” What this premise means is that in every circumstance the former is held true or is held false, the latter is also commensurate. It does not mean that both statements are synonymous. That is, these statements are independent of each another but have a relationship in whether it is true or false in every circumstance. So in fact, two unrelated statements about different subjects can be logically equivalent.
Premise two seeks to give a “positive instance” of premise one. What is a positive instance? A positive instance is something that shows confirmation of one of the statements. In this instance, visual evidence of a red rose confirms the statement “All roses are red.” In this case, finding a non-red object that is not a rose...

Open Document