Abstract:
Hypothetical conclusion, or abduction, was introduced by Charles Sanders Pierce, besides inductive and deductive reasoning. This method was later developed further by, among others, Gilbert Harman. The main point is that explanatory considerations can lead us to a conclusion that was first introduced as a hypothesis. If our inference is tenable, then more elaborations are provided to the evidences. This method is used in many disciplines, including epistemology, in order to validate various statements related to the outside world.
Concerning the outside world, epistemologists try to answer three questions: does it exist, can we have knowledge of it, and what is the criterion for assessing the validity of such knowledge. Some contemporary philosophers argue that these questions can be answered by "recourse to the best explanation", as a type of hypothetical reasoning. Such a method, however, needs to be described, explained and validated. In this paper, the author tries to account for the nature of this method, its advantage over others, and its validity. He intends to assess the applicability of the causal explanation approach in validating statements about the outside world.