January 14, 2020 – Hiphis Seminar: On the Nature of Sherlock Holmes’ “Deductions”

Tuesday, January 14,2020, from 5:30p.m.to7:30 p.m.,UM IAE, Robert Reix Lecture Hall, free admission
(Triolet Campus, Building 29) — Please note: due to construction, the walk from the tram station is longer than usual.

On the Nature of Sherlock Holmes’ “Deductions”

Denis Vernant
Philosopher of logic and language, Professor Emeritus at the University of Grenoble-Alpes

Abstract:
The successes of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes are generally attributed to his deductive abilities. In fact, his lines of reasoning leading to the arrest of the culprit are allinstances of abduction. Unlike deduction and induction, abduction is a specific form of inference that consists of making hypotheses about the supposed cause of an unexpected event. We will first propose defining abduction as a procedure combining logical reasoning and praxeological inquiry that draws on empirical data. We will illustrate its inventive power by recalling Kepler’s discovery of the elliptical nature of the planetary orbits. Finally, usingArthurConan Doyle’s short story “TheSilver Blaze” (French title:*Flamme d’Argent*) as an example, we will examine how Sherlock Holmes uncovers the thief’s identity.

Joint invitation with IMAG—the Alexandre Grothendieck Institute of Montpellier.
Lecture associated with WorldLogic Day; an afternoon of lectures at UM on the same day in the IAE lecture hall; details below