Is counting the number of something an inference?

Answer 1

Yes and no! Not by the normal and strict definition of counting where you sit there going "one, two etc..."

An inference is where you deduce a conclusion from some known facts/information.

So counting in this manner is not an example because there is no deductive process involved (there is no reasoning involved).

Here is an example (not of counting) where there is reasoning: if I told you that x was greater than y, and that y was greater than 0, then you could infer that therefore x was greater than 0. You would have taken the information (the evidence if you like) and reasoned some further piece of information from it. You would have inferred something!

So, finally, let me give you an example where counting perhaps could be an inference. Suppose we know that there are x number of stars in another galaxy. And suppose there is also some scientific evidence which suggests that the average number of planets orbiting a star in this galaxy is 2. Then we could inferthat there are 2x number of planets in this particular galaxy. (Note: we might be wrong about that; an inference does not necessarily have to be correct!)