HYPOTHESIS

[L:92] In his discussion of the logic of probability, Kant defines a hypothesis as "a holding-to-be-true of a judgment of the truth of a ground, for the sake of its sufficiency for consequences". A hypothesis involves the presupposition of a ground from which certain consequences follow; it is possible to "commit ourselves to the hypothesis as if it were perfectly certain, although it is so only through induction". The possibility of the presupposition, and the "correct" following of the consequence must be certain. Kant comments that in metaphysics there are no hypotheses, although "in physics they are useful and indispensable."