Modalities of Abduction: a Philosophy of Science-Based Investigation of Abduction | SpringerLink Advertisement Search Log in Search SpringerLink Search Arena of Epistemology Published: 05 December 2018 Modalities of Abduction: a Philosophy of Science-Based Investigation of Abduction Jeppe Olsen  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2636-84151 & Alexander Gjerding1  Human Arenas volume 2, pages129–152(2019)Cite this article 625 Accesses 3 Citations Metrics details Abstract In this article, we investigate the notion of abduction, as it relates to and can be applied in scientific research. We investigate abduction through philosophy of science and the purpose is to survey some of the way abduction can be used in scientific research to the same extent as in- and deduction can be used. First, we perform a walkthrough of an illustrative sample of literature, which suggests that abduction is an ambiguously used concept, and that abduction is often defined much narrower than in- or deduction. We then proceed to give an outline of the most vital treatments of abduction in modern times, and we try to define various modalities of abduction, both as an autonomous research strategy and inference type, but also in relation and contrast to in- and deduction. The article ends with some perspectives on philosophy of science in relation to abduction, and some suggestions for applications of abduction in the different sciences. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution. Access options Buy single article Instant access to the full article PDF. US$ 39.95 Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout. Rent this article via DeepDyve. Learn more about Institutional subscriptions Notes 1.We have not conducted a systematic review; we have only investigated a test sample of the recent literature (for systematic reviews, see Simet 2013; Fausto and Valentina 2017). 2.Which has striking similarities to Lévi-Strauss’ (1968) notion of the craftsman’s as a tinkerer—making systems of classifications in direct association with the use of materials in the immediate environment. According to Lévi-Strauss, this is a forerunner and vital part of scientific thought. 3.However, these aspects have to a high degree provided the potentials for post-Peircean work on abduction, especially in the form it takes in critical realism (Bhaskar and Hartwig 2016) which we shall return to below. 4.As should be clear by now, understanding abduction as an aspect of what Popper termed, the context of justification (2013), that is, the logical grounds supporting a scientific finding is misleading (Fann 1970; Mcauliffe 2015): Speculative as it may seem in modern philosophy of science, Peirce’s notion of abduction is situated much closer to what Popper (2013) called the context of discovery, that is, the very process of scientific ideation (Mcauliffe 2015). 5.Where abduction connotes “to lead astray/away”—that is, an underdetermined and tentative movement of thought—retroduction connotes “to consciously lead back”—that is, a more intended and goal-oriented movement of thought (Chiasson 2005). 6.The developmental and semiotic mechanisms underlying the double-description methodology could fruitfully be explored, by eclectically connecting it with the research in multisensory development (Bremner et al. 2012) and cognitive semantics (Lakoff and Johnson 1999). However, the conclusions of such studies would probably require descriptions beyond science, since the interminglings of experience and thought in Bateson’s double-description are what Bhaskar (2008, Bhaskar and Hartwig 2016) terms transcendentals, concepts beyond any empirical investigative procedure. 7.However, abduction can contribute to forming new hypothesis about a topic in relation to whether or not its investigated aspect is reproducible. References Agresti, A, and Finlay, B (2013) Statistical methods for the social sciences: Pearson new international edition. Pearson. Alejandros-Flórez, J. (2014). Perice’s theory of the origins of abduction in Aristotles. Transactions of the Charles Sanders Peirce Society., 50(2). Anderson, D. (1986). The evolution of Peirce’s concept of abduction. Transaction of the Charles S. Peirce Society, 22(2), 145–164. Google Scholar  Aristotle (1960) Posterior analytica Topica. Loeb Classical libary, no. 391. Trans. Huge Tredenick and E.S. Forster. 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Additional information Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Rights and permissions Reprints and Permissions About this article Cite this article Olsen, J., Gjerding, A. Modalities of Abduction: a Philosophy of Science-Based Investigation of Abduction. Hu Arenas 2, 129–152 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-018-0044-4 Download citation Received: 12 July 2018 Revised: 24 October 2018 Accepted: 26 October 2018 Published: 05 December 2018 Issue Date: 15 June 2019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-018-0044-4 Keywords Abduction philosophy of science Peirce Umberto Eco Bateson Critical Realism Magnani Access options Buy single article Instant access to the full article PDF. US$ 39.95 Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout. Rent this article via DeepDyve. 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