Observation and experiment are considered as the two material grounds of induction. Observation is the regulated perception of phenomena under natural conditions.
In order to have satisfactory observational knowledge the physical, intellectual and moral conditions are to be observed carefully. Further it is also necessary to remain careful not to commit the fallacy of observations.
The fallacy may occur when something is wrongly observed as something else, or due to non-observation of instances or essential circumstances. The former fallacy is called mal-observation and the latter fallacy is called non-observation.
Experiment is the artificial reproduction of event under pre-arranged conditions. In experiment the instances can be repeated. Here we can have the advantage of applying quantitative changes.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Observation and experiment do not differ in kind but only in degree. Each of them has some relative advantage over the other.