Goodman (sociological concept)

Goodman is a sociological concept primarily associated with the work of philosopher Nelson Goodman. It refers to the challenge of distinguishing between "projectible" and "non-projectible" predicates in the context of inductive reasoning. In simpler terms, it highlights how certain generalizations (like "all swans are white") can change with new observations (e.g., discovering a black swan). This illustrates the difficulty in making broad claims based on limited evidence and emphasizes that our conclusions can be influenced by the characteristics we assume to be inherent in categories. It provokes critical thinking about assumptions in knowledge and reasoning.