7.5.1. Deductive and Inductive Reasoning

Since your previous experience indicates that people run on the platform to catch a train, you would conclude that this person is getting late and is running to catch the train. The kind of reasoning that begins with an assumption is called deductive reasoning.

Deductive reasoning involves starting with a general statement or hypothesis and then reaching a specific conclusion based on that assumption. For instance, if we assume that 'people run on the railway platform only when they are late for a train', and we observe a man running, we conclude that he is late based on this assumption. The reasoning follows a logical structure, moving from the general to the specific.

Imagine you have a general rule that all students who study hard pass their exams. If you see a student who studied hard, you might conclude deductively that he/she will pass the exam. However, this reasoning can be faulty if the assumption itself is incorrect.

One mistake that you are making (and generally people do commit such mistakes in deductive reasoning) is that you (they) assume but do not always know if the basic statement or assumption is true. If the base information is not true, i.e. people also run on the platform for other reasons then your conclusion would be invalid or wrong.

In deductive reasoning, the risk lies in assuming that the initial premise is true without validation. If the basic premise is incorrect, the conclusion fails. For example, if we don't consider that the person might be running for reasons other than being late, such as to say goodbye or because they are excited, then we arrive at a faulty conclusion.

Envision a detective who deduces that a suspect is guilty because they are found near the crime scene. If the detective assumes the suspect's presence means guilt without considering other possibilities (like them being innocent bystanders), this assumption could lead to wrongful accusations.

Another way to figure out why the man is running on the platform is to use inductive reasoning. Sometimes you would analyse other possible reasons and observe what the man is actually doing and then draw a conclusion about his behaviour. Reasoning, that is based on specific facts and observation, is called inductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning starts from specific observations or real examples and builds up to a general conclusion. It is less about certainties and more about finding patterns. For example, noticing that certain students who study late generally score well may lead you to conclude that studying late helps improve performance.

Imagine you're observing the weather patterns in your city. If you see that it has rained every Friday for the last month, you might use inductive reasoning to conclude that it will likely rain next Friday. This conclusion is based on observed patterns, but unlike deductive reasoning, it leaves room for exceptions.

From the above discussion we can conclude that reasoning is the process of gathering and analysing information to arrive at conclusions. In this sense, reasoning is also a form of problem solving. The goal is to determine what conclusion can be drawn from certain given information.

Both deductive and inductive reasoning serve the purpose of making judgments based on available information. Deductive reasoning provides a definite conclusion if the premises are true, while inductive reasoning offers probable conclusions based on evidence. Knowing these differences allows us to approach problems with the right mindset.

Consider a bakery that sells cookies. If you establish that all cookies with nuts are priced higher (deductive), you will conclude any cookie from that category is expensive. However, if you notice through experience that most coconut cookies are less expensive (inductive), you might conclude that the coconut cookie will probably be low-priced, even if it might sometimes be offered at a premium.

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