Abstract

This excellent book, written by a reputed researcher on philosophy of science and former Chancellor of the University of Helsinki, is both difficult and rewarding. Approaching the problem of abduction from a multidisciplinary perspective, the book contends that a great part of human activity of truth-seeking is due to the hypothetical reasoning performed thanks to abductive skills. The book is the fruit of decades of rich research and collects and reorganizes various articles about abduction or related topics basically oriented by logical and epistemological interests. Hence, the volume extensively explores abductive cognition, a very important but, at least until the third quarter of the last century, neglected...