Volume 23, Issue 2, June 2022
Miguel López-Astorga
Pages 355-365
Induction in Human Reasoning: Gautama’s Syllogism and System K
The literature has shown that the theory of mental models is able to describe human inductive processes. That theory has been related to the structure of inductive inferences, such as Gautama’s Syllogism indicates. On the other hand, the theory of mental models has also been linked to modal system K. This paper argues that there can be a connection between Gautama’s Syllogism and system K, not in rigorous logical deductions but in describing how the human mind can work. They can refer to two different moments of inductive reasoning; the rule of necessitation of K can be a key element in the second of those moments.