Deductive Reasoning
Deductive reasoning is a form of logic where one reasons from a set of statements in order to reach a conclusion. Paper Masters custom writes deductive reasoning research papers. The deductive reasoning can be found within the argument or thesis of the research paper or the research paper can be on the topic of deductive reasoning. Paper Masters can do either type of writing.
The most classic example of deductive reason is: All men are mortals. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal. Most scholars assume that deductive reasoning is a basic skill that develops in all human beings; therefore deductive reasoning is generally not taught in schools.
Deductive reasoning links premises with conclusions. When the premises are true and the rules of logic are followed, then the conclusion must also be true. In the above example, the first two statements are the premises, while the final statement is obviously the conclusion. Deductive arguments are evaluated by their validity and their soundness. Arguments can be valid, but not sound, if one or more of the premises are false. If, however, all of the premises are true, then the argument is sound.
Three Laws of Deductive Reasoning
Three laws govern deductive reasoning:
- The law of detachment
- The law of syllogism
- The law of contrapositive
The law of detachment holds that a single conditional statement is followed by a hypothesis, and the conclusion is deduced from these two. In the law of syllogism, the conclusion is reached by combining the hypothesis of a first statement with the conclusion of a second. Finally, the law of contrapositive holds that, in a conditional, if the conclusion is false then the hypothesis must also be false.