The first type of truth is relative and thus a posteriori true, as in relative to the empirical material examined (enumerative induction) and a posteriori as in the need of being empirically verified.The second type of truth is absolute and thus a priori true, as in necessarily, demonstratively and apodictically true - that is, true out of purely formal reasons, and absolutely true irrespective of the empirical material examined (mathematical induction). What poses a problem is that according to the older view of induction, induction could be used as a method to reach and establish absolute truths about objects, which entails that not only mathematical induction but also enumerative induction can establish absolute truths.264The modern view denies that this is posssible. To Aristotle,“Reasoning” should begin from necessary premisses, which in turn are possible to determine by way of induction.265 To use the words of Aristotle himself: From the revival of Aristotelian thought in the Middle Ages up until the 18th Century, Aristotle’s opinion that both deductive reasoning and enumerative induction were methods that made it possible to establish a priori knowledge analytically as well as synthetically, came to constitute the scientific paradigm among p a r t i 1 , c h a p t e r 4 122 “For one must secure the necessary premises either by reasoning or by induction, or else partly by one and partly by the other, although any propositions which are too obvious to be denied may be formulated in so many words.This is because the coming /156a/ conclusion is less easily discerned at the greater distance and in the process of induction, while at the same time, even if one cannot reach the required premisses in this way, it is still open to one to formulate them in so many words. The premisses, other than these, that we mentioned above [see: 155b 20-28], must be secured with a view to the latter.The way to employ them respectively is as follows: Induction should proceed from individual cases to the universal and from the known to the unknown; and the objects of perception are better known, to most people if not invariably.”266 264 Wright, Logik, filosofi och språk: strömningar och gestalter i modern filosofi, p. 33.Aristotle, among others, believed that induction could establish axiomatic truths. 265 Aristotle, TheWorks of Aristotle, Topica viii. 1 (155b 19-21 and 29-31). 266 Ibid., Topica viii. 1 (155b 35-39 and 156a 1-7 ).
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