Deductive and Inductive Arguments

Question 1

______ _______ derive conclusions necessarily from their premises. If the premises are true and the reasoning valid, the conclusion must be true. For example, “All dogs have four legs. Grover is a dog. Therefore, Grover has four legs” is deductively valid.

Answer 1

• Deductive arguments

Question 2

______ _______ support conclusions based on probability or evidence, but do not guarantee them. For instance, “I have seen the sun rise every day, so it will rise tomorrow” is inductive, supporting a probable conclusion rather than a certain one. Inductive reasoning can be strong or weak depending on the evidence’s reliability.

Answer 2

• Inductive arguments