Philosophy · Investigate

A claim, a reason and a question

What would make an invented explanation stronger or weaker?

Use four invented machine records to separate a claim, its supporting reason and the question that could change it.

15–25 minutes, or one comparison for a first try. More time is optional.

Four tile records show A striped left, B striped left, C plain right and D striped right. D conflicts with the claim that every striped tile goes left.
A reason can support a claim without proving it. Open full-size diagram ↗

Start here

Copy this fictional record: striped tile A went left; striped tile B went left; plain tile C went right. The machine is only a drawing.

Use your idea or the example below. Talk, write, draw, point or listen first. You can stop after one step.

Try it your way.

  1. Name the claim

    Write: “Every striped tile goes left.” Underline “every”. This claims more than the three listed records: it covers striped tiles not yet shown.

  2. Give the reason accurately

    A and B support the claim because both are striped and went left. C says something about a plain tile, so it does not settle what every striped tile does.

  3. Use a new supplied record

    Now add invented tile D: striped, went right. Check whether it belongs to the claim’s category and whether its result conflicts. D does both, so the “every” claim fails for this record set.

  4. Revise and ask

    A defensible replacement is: “A and B went left; D did not.” Ask what feature or rule might explain the different result. Do not invent an unseen mechanism as an established fact.

One possible version

A reason can support a claim without proving it

A, B, C and D are constructed examples, not observations from a real machine.

  • Before D: A and B are positive cases, but checking two striped tiles does not establish an unrestricted “every” claim.
  • After D: a striped tile went right. One genuine conflicting case defeats the claim as stated.
  • Revised report: 2 of the 3 supplied striped tiles went left. That is a description of these records, not a prediction for all possible tiles.

Changing a claim to fit records is different from discovering why the records occurred. The hidden rule remains unspecified.

A different way.

Compare A and D only, or use two columns headed “claim” and “record”. Someone may read or scribe; no personal belief needs discussing.

If you want more.

Construct a different rule that fits all four records. Explain why fitting them still does not prove it is the machine’s actual rule.

Something to keep?

Did I change my confidence because of evidence, or quietly change what my claim meant?

You can keep a question, a sketch or a change of mind. A finished product is optional.

This opens an editable starter in your project tools. It asks before replacing open work. Choosing it does not save or share your work automatically.

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