The Goodman's Paradox

The Goodman's Paradox highlights a challenge in confirming scientific hypotheses based on observed evidence. Imagine you claim all ravens are black. Finding a black raven supports this, but unexpectedly, observing a non-black object (like a white shoe) also supports it because it confirms that non-black objects are rare or unlikely. This seems counterintuitive, as witnessing a white shoe doesn’t directly relate to ravens’ color. The paradox points out that some evidence can unintuitively support a hypothesis due to how we interpret confirmation, raising questions about the logic behind scientific reasoning and the evaluation of evidence.