TFY, Ch. 12 Deductive Reasonin: How do I Reason from Premise summary

In this chapter the author introduces the topic of deductive reasoning. The word deduct means to lead away. In deductive reasoning people infer, or lead away from a general principle in order to apply that principle to a specific instant. According to the author, deduction is taught through the study of formal logic, or the science of good reasoning. Deductive statements are obvious most of the time; they can begin with a generalization that has been derived from inductive reasoning. However, deduction also works with generalizations not necessarily derived from inductive reasoning. Deduction can start with any statement that makes a claim. The claim could be worked logically whether it is true or not. Sorting out evidence and finding the truth is not a main concern in deduction, its main concern is studying implications. To understand logic one must first be familiar with logic’s technical vocabulary. The following vocabulary is needed to identify components of deductive arguments and to convey its rules for correct usage. One: argument, a conclusion supported by reasons. Two: Claim, a true or false assertion about something. Three: conclusion, the last step in the reasoning process. It is a judgment based on evidence and reasoning, an inference derived from the premise of an argument. Four: hidden premise or conclusion, a premise or conclusion that is not stated but implied in an argument. Five: hypothesis, a theory, explanation, or tentative conclusion derived through inductive reasoning based on a limited view of facts or events. Six: inductive reasoning, the process of noting particular facts and noting conclusions about them. Seven: logic, the science of reasoning. Eight: premises, statements, evidence, or assumptions offered to support a position. Nine: propositions, claims, statements, or assertions used in an argument. Ten: reasoning, the act or process of arriving at conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises. Eleven: sound, a sound argument is one in which all the premises are true and the reasoning valid. Twelve: syllogism, the formalized structure of a deductive argument usually written in which the conclusion is supported by two premises. Thirteen: true, corresponding to reality. Fourteen: valid, a valid argument is one in which the reasoning follows correctly from the premises to the conclusion. An argument can be valid with or without the premise or conclusion being true. Whether it is apparent to people or not, inductive and deductive reasoning interweave through our minds constantly. Taking conscious notice of how thinking moves between inductive and deductive modes has advantages such as, we can purposely direct our thinking to the mode that is more appropriate. In turn our awareness allows us to use different standards of the two modes to evaluate what we do. In the end we have a greater probability of arriving at better decisions in life. At the end of the chapter I realized the author was right when she had mentioned understanding the vocabulary would be difficult at first. The technical vocabulary of logic is something I need to study for a longer period of time in order to fully understand.