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Routledge Revivals Practical Inferences First published in 1985, Practical Inferences describes how practical inferences are used. Starting with relatively simple inference patterns exhibited in everyday prudential decisions, the author extends a basic structural frame- work to the more complex inferences used in assessing probabilities, and finally to moral inferences. In this way what have been regarded as disparate activities are shown to exhibit fundamental similarities. The author argues that at all levels of decision-making the practical inferences used contain at least one premise expressing the desires or preferences of the agent. This is in opposition to the dominant view in Western philosophy that desires must be regulated or evaluated by means of principles of conduct discovered by rational procedures. By examining the premises implied by holders of this view, the author shows that they are inadequate bases for justifying practical decisions. This book will be of interest to students of philosophy, logic and mathematics. Practical Inferences D. S. Clarke , Jr 13 Routledge v i\ Taylor & Francis Group ^(V{kV> First published in 1985 By Routledge & Kegan Paul This edition first published in 2022 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © D. S. Clarke, Jr 1985 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Publisher's Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondence from those they have been unable to contact. A Library of Congress record exists under ISBN: 0710204159 ISBN: 978-1-032-38384-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-34568-8 (ebk) ISBN: 978-1-032-38573-0 (pbk) Book DOI 10.4324/9781003345688 Practical Inferences D.S. Clarke, Jr Professor of Philosophy Southern Illinois University at Carbondale ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL London, Boston, Melbourne and Henley First published in 1985 by Routledge & Kegan Paul plc 14 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7PH, England 9 Park Street, Boston, Mass. 02108, USA 464 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia and Broadway House, Newtown Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1EN, England Set in Times by Columns of Reading and printed in Great Britain by T.J. Press (Padstow) Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall Copyright © D.S. Clarke, Jr 1985 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except for the quotation of brief passages in criticism Library of Congress Cataloging, in Publication Data Clarke, D.S. (David S.), 1936- Practical inferences. (International library of philosophy) Bibliography: p. Includes indexes. I. Inference (Logic) I. Title. II. Series. BC199.147C58 1985 160 84-16033 British Library CIP Data also available ISBN 0-7102-0415-9 To Sadako CONTENTS Prefaceix I Introduction1 1 Theoretical and Practical Reasoning1 2 Two Uses of Inferences4 3 Rules of Inference7 4 Emotivism and Prescriptivism9 5 Cognitivis1m3 II Deliberation, Justification and Explanation15 1 Deliberation and Justification15 2 Basic and Option Patterns and Secondary Inferences 21 3 Retrospective Inferences28 4 Rationality32 5 Explanation37 III The Inferential Relation43 1 First Premiss and Conclusion43 2 Complicating Features51 3 The Deductivist View56 4 Other Person Inferences63 IV Cognitivist Reformulations70 1 Evaluating Wants71 2 Prudential Principles77 3 Criticizing Others82
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