I need help understanding inductive and deductive arguments and stated and unstated premises. Thank you
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Deductive and Inductive Arguments [The Internet Encyclopedia of ...
Jan 27, 2003 ... Because the difference between inductive and deductive arguments involves the strength of evidence which the author believes the premises to ...
http://www.iep.utm.edu/ded-ind/
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Mission: Critical (Induction vs. Deduction)
Many people distinguish between two basic kinds of argument: inductive and deductive. Induction is usually described as moving from the specific to the ...
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http://www.siue.edu/~evailat/crit-arg.html
Sure! I'd be happy to help you understand inductive and deductive arguments, as well as stated and unstated premises.
Inductive and deductive arguments are two different types of reasoning used in logic. Let's start with deductive arguments:
1. Deductive Arguments:
Deductive reasoning is a logical process where conclusions are drawn based on established premises, which are assumed to be true. In a deductive argument, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true.
Here's an example of a deductive argument:
Premise 1: All mammals are warm-blooded animals.
Premise 2: Dogs are mammals.
Conclusion: Therefore, dogs are warm-blooded animals.
In this deductive argument, the two premises are stated and explicitly provided, and the conclusion follows logically from the premises. Deductive arguments are often used in mathematics and formal logic since they provide certainty and the conclusion is an unavoidable consequence of the premises.
2. Inductive Arguments:
Inductive reasoning, on the other hand, is a form of reasoning where conclusions are drawn based on patterns, generalizations, or probabilities. Inductive arguments provide support for the conclusion but do not guarantee its truth.
Here's an example of an inductive argument:
Premise 1: Every swan I have seen so far is white.
Conclusion: Therefore, all swans are white.
In this inductive argument, the conclusion is based on a generalization from observation. While it is reasonable to assume that swans are generally white based on previous observations, it is still possible to find a non-white swan in the future. Inductive reasoning involves making predictions or generalizations based on available evidence, but it does not result in absolute certainty.
Now, let's move on to stated and unstated premises:
3. Stated Premises:
Stated premises refer to the premises that are explicitly mentioned or provided in an argument. They are clear and directly stated, allowing the reader or listener to evaluate the soundness and validity of the argument.
For example, in the deductive argument mentioned earlier, "All mammals are warm-blooded animals," and "Dogs are mammals" are both stated premises.
4. Unstated Premises:
Unstated premises, also known as implicit premises or assumptions, are not explicitly mentioned in the argument but are assumed to be true for the argument to hold. These premises are not always obvious and may require additional information or context to identify.
For instance, in the inductive argument about swans, an unstated premise might be:
Assumption: The observed swans are representative of the entire population of swans.
The argument assumes that the observed sample of swans is representative of all swans. Without this assumption, the conclusion may not be valid.
In summary, deductive arguments involve drawing conclusions based on explicitly stated premises, while inductive arguments rely on patterns or generalizations. Stated premises are those that are clearly provided, while unstated premises are assumptions that are not explicitly mentioned but are assumed to be true.
If you want to evaluate or construct arguments, it's important to consider both the type of reasoning (deductive or inductive) and the presence of stated and unstated premises.