What’s the Difference Between a Hypothesis and an Inference?

To begin with, it makes sense you’d ask about this difference. These two things have much in common, including that they both refer to philosophical viewpoints used as tools in the search for truth. And flaws aside, both have served us well.But both also have problems.

A hypothesis is an untested, guessed answer. The current scientific method requires you start here. Unfortunately, this kind of puts the cart before the horse; answers before questions. Here, some hypotheses are based on logical inferences. But most are based on previously tested answers which get equated to directly observed evidence.

Unfortunately, tested answers do not necessarily equate to directly observed evidence. Worse yet, most answers are interpretations. And all answers close the mind.

So are inferences any better?

An inference is a connection between things which has been suggested by observed evidence. Here, the evidence has been directly observed, and a connection gets inferred. Usually, this connection is based on assumptions about causal relationships. But as David Hume wrote, we can never actually see cause and effect. We see only one thing following another and then assume a connection. Thus inferences can be just as flawed as hypotheses.