A Critical Philosophical Reflection of "A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive" by John Stuart Mill

Proper, indisputable knowledge is the very root of science as we know it today. Therefore, John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) has formalized the scientific method to acquire this type of knowledge, in his book System of Logic. Particularly, he maintains that inductive logic is the only true basis of knowledge. This paper will elaborate on the most principal features of Mill’s System of Logic. Subsequently, a skeptical stance towards Mill’s views will be put forward. This will consists of a summary and elaboration of the Mill-Whewell debate. Besides, Hume’s view on inductive logic will be presented. Consequently, I will conclude that Mill missed a chance to really address Hume’s problem, which entails the question whether one can infer a general law from single, observable instance.