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POST 1

Sherlock Holmes was an inspiration by Dr. Joseph Bell who was known for his method of powers of deduction and observation. His power of observation and deduction was seen in the early nineteenth century. Because of his profession, the reasoning of deduction was evident as it relates to diagnosing illnesses and uncovering the background of patients that was before him. So many were touched by Dr. Joseph, that this one student named Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired by what he was seeing. Dr. Joseph Bell was studied by his student who in return made a great story called Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes the character of Artur Conan Doyle uses deductive reasoning methodologies. Deductive reasoning is a logical approach where you progress from general ideas to specific conclusions. It’s often contrasted with inductive reasoning, where you start with specific observations and form general conclusions (Pritha Bhandari, July 2022). The lecturer, Dr. Bell was so good at the observation that one day, while he was teaching his class according to the video 12.00 – 13.50 his methodology of deduction, became clear to the young student Arthur Conan Doyle. In the video from the timing of 12 minutes to 13.50 minutes, the class and Arthur were amazed when they say the deduction reasoning in front of their very eyes. The lecturer Dr. Joseph Bell famously concluded that one man was an alcoholic by observing that he habitually carried a flask in the inside breast pocket of his coat. In addition, Dr. Joseph Bell’s tremendous work continued as he was instrumental in solving the death of Elizabeth. Without much technology and science present at the time of Elizabeth’s death, Dr. Bell was determined through his observational skill and deduction reasoning to see what took place. Although the resource was limited, Dr. Bell the lecturer and surgeon were successful in shaping what took place. Observation and deductive reasoning shaped the outcome and determined that Elizabeth was murdered. As England started getting worst with murders, Sherlock Holmes was born. From the good work of Dr. Bell, and his assistance Arthur Conan created the inspiring journey that was Sherlock Holmes. The journey of Dr. Bell impacted so many, that he was called to help in situations like this where things were getting worst. He worked tirelessly to solve those murders. Conclusion Arthur Conan an assistant and student of Dr. Joseph Bell enlightened him through the methodology of observation and deductive reasoning. Dr. Bell inspired Arthur Conan to create a frictional story of Sherlock Holmes. The father of deductive reasoning was embodied in Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Bell was great at observation and deductive reasoning which allowed him to become famous in the early ninth century. Moreover, Dr. Bell the lecturer and Surgeon was influential in the creation of Sherlock Holmes because of the illumination.

POST 2

There are many highlights as it relates to the work of Joseph Bell and the use of research methodology in the documentaries. One such highlight that stood out to me was how his research was directly applicable to his societal needs and context. Bell unlike some of the authors did not utilize research on a philosophical level that argued about major premises but he utilized research to solve specific crimes. This to me is relevant (and exciting) because it speaks to the application and utility of research. Dr. Joseph Bell was also one of the first persons who through his work was able to show that it was possible to utilize science to achieve solutions to crime, thus creating a method or standardization that has an impact even today.

Another highlight that stood out to me was the continuous use of characteristics that are similar to the inductive research method. Interestingly, many persons (myself included before this class) classify the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes and William Bell by extension as a method that leans more towards deduction as opposed to induction. Holmes is also described as someone with “great powers of deduction” (Valtepes3176, 2017) Yet when describing his methods, it speaks to his attention to detail and his use of data as a starting point. One such example was his first encounter with Watson where he observes features such as his tanned skin, his face, how he carried out his left arm, etc. that led him to form his conclusions. One way of determining if a method is deductive is to identify an element of syllogism, which is a technique used to understand the components of a deductive argument. Syllogisms are designed to clarify what is already known, the work of Bell however does not allude to generalizations that are already known with major and minor premises. (Ippolito, S, n.d)

Both Holmes and Bell sought clarification on the unknown, this can be regarded as similar to the concept of “serendipitous findings”, where there are unexpected patterns in data that lead to new explanations, insights, or theoretical approaches. (Schutt, 2011, p.50) An example was given of the case of a sexual serial killer (Jack the Ripper), which at that time was new as there were no existing theories that dealt with this category of criminal. Inductive research begins with specific data, which is then used to develop a general explanation or theory that accounts for that data (Schutt, 2011, p.50). In the documentary titled, “The True Story of Sherlock Holmes- Dr. Joseph Bell, we see several characteristics of an inductive research approach. One example is when Bell begins with observation and not with a preset expectation or “theoretical premise”, this is identified as he goes through the process of gathering data or evidence.

This is also illustrated in the case of Eugene Cantrell’s wife, observations were made in her autopsy results (smells, etc.), the room in which she was found, her husband’s actions before her death (the life insurance policy), the buying of opium, the maids account of their interaction. I also found it important to note, that Bell did not only base his conclusions solely on his direct observations but he also took into account what was absent (the lack of smell of gas etc.) and seemed to be in search of widening his amount of data to provide a stronger conclusion or theory. This is directly related to a feature of the inductive research method that indicates that conclusions are possibilities and not one hundred percent certain. (Rennemeyer, 2001) Reference can also be drawn to the interview conducted with Joseph Bell, where he indicates this method of observing, deducing shrewdly, and also confirming with hard evidence as a way of verifying his conclusions. (Fair, M, 2016) One prominent feature of inductive reasoning is that conclusions are based on observations. (Rennemeyer, 2001)

Lastly, another highlight was that throughout the documentaries, Bell is portrayed as someone who has a level of neutrality in his investigations. It would seem that everyone was an equal suspect in the absence of data. He did not assume that prior knowledge was true but attempted to arrive at conclusions by widening his pool of information, which is also another characteristic of inductive reasoning. Homes throughout his work presents discoveries even if it did not subscribe to society’s truth. An example of this was when Holmes demonstrated that anyone (from any class) can commit a crime. (Valtepes3176, 2017) There are also examples of new work, such as “The Typewriter and its Relation to Crime” and also his work on footstep tracing. The gathering of evidence, data, or clues played a critical role at the beginning of the research process. This is seen in the line that Holmes said to Watson, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data”. (Valtepes3176, 2017)

Conclusion

Joseph Bell’s research methodology has made a valuable contribution to the field of criminal investigation. It demonstrates the application of the scientific method as a response to societal needs. Throughout his work and that of the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes, there is evidence that demonstrates the use of the inductive method of investigation. This is demonstrated in the use of observation or specific data as a starting point and the new explanations or methods that were used to verify his findings. Also, by having conclusions that are considered to be a strong possibility but yet still have an element of uncertainty which lessens with the availability of more data.