What is deductive reasoning?

What is deductive reasoning?

• A. Reasoning from specific observations
• B. Reasoning from a single example to a rule
• C. Reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions
• D. Guessing without evidence

Answer: (C)

Deductive reasoning is reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions. It starts with a broad rule and applies it to a particular case, so if the rule is true and the argument form is valid, the conclusion must be true. For example: all humans are mortal; Socrates is a human; therefore, Socrates is mortal. This shows how a general principle leads to a definite, necessary conclusion. Reasoning from specific observations to a general rule is inductive, not deductive, and the conclusions are probabilistic rather than guaranteed because they depend on the sample observed. Inferring a general rule from a single example is not sufficient evidence. Guessing without evidence isn’t a reasoning process at all. So the correct description is reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions.

Deductive reasoning is reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions. It starts with a broad rule and applies it to a particular case, so if the rule is true and the argument form is valid, the conclusion must be true. For example: all humans are mortal; Socrates is a human; therefore, Socrates is mortal. This shows how a general principle leads to a definite, necessary conclusion.

Reasoning from specific observations to a general rule is inductive, not deductive, and the conclusions are probabilistic rather than guaranteed because they depend on the sample observed. Inferring a general rule from a single example is not sufficient evidence. Guessing without evidence isn’t a reasoning process at all. So the correct description is reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions.