We cannot have knowledge of general laws. Each of Hume's premises seems intuitively plausible. But the conclusion is one which most scientists and philosophers do not like. A naive approach Make sure your observed instances come from a wide enough variety of different conditions. Solution 2 is circular.
All swans are white'.
So even if the above argument form were valid, reasoning from a finite number of observed cases would confer zero probability on the conclusion. Induction is rational by definition Anyone who understands the meaning of the term 'rational' will tell you that predicting future regularities on the basis of past observation is rational.