what is deductive argument in critical thinking

Knowing the ins and outs of deductive reasoning, and how to spot an invalid form of deduction, is a good way to sharpen your critical thinking skills. There’s nothing better than deductive reasoning to win an argument or test a belief.

Deductive reasoning is a logical approach where you progress from general ideas to specific conclusions. It’s often contrasted with inductive reasoning, where you start with specific observations and form general conclusions. Deductive reasoning is also called deductive logic or top-down reasoning.

Chapter 2: Deductive Arguments – How to Think Critically. You’ll remember from Chapter 1 that an argument is an attempt to persuade someone of some conclusion by giving reasons in support of that conclusion. Deductive arguments are ones which are intended to guarantee the truth of their conclusion. For example, this is a deductive argument: P1.

A deductive argument is an argument whose conclusion is supposed to follow from its premises with absolute certainty, thus leaving no possibility that the conclusion doesn’t follow from the premises. For a deductive argument to fail to do this is for it to fail as a deductive argument.

Deductive reasoning: conclusion guaranteed. Deductive reasoning starts with the assertion of a general rule and proceeds from there to a guaranteed specific conclusion. Deductive reasoning moves from the general rule to the specific application: In deductive reasoning, if the original assertions are true, then the conclusion must also be true.

According to this alternative view, a deductive argument is one such that, if one accepts the truth of the premises, one cannot doubt the truth of the conclusion. By contrast, an inductive argument is one such that, if one accepts the truth of the premises, one can doubt the truth of the conclusion.

Induction and deduction are pervasive elements in critical thinking. They are also somewhat misunderstood terms. Arguments based on experience or observation are best expressed inductively, while arguments based on laws or rules are best expressed deductively. Most arguments are mainly inductive.

While formal methods focus on deductive validity and truth, critical thinkers may evaluate a statement’s truth, its usefulness, its religious value, its aesthetic value, or its rhetorical value.

Apply principles of deductive reasoning to analyze arguments. Identify how mental models and cognitive biases affect critical thinking. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of different logical approaches, including classical and non-classical logics.

In deductive arguments, the truth of the premises is intended to absolutely establish the truth of the conclusion. For inductive arguments, the truth of the premises is only intended to establish the probable truth of the conclusion.