Inductive inferences are not absolutely true, unlike deductive inferences, and are usually preceded by “probably”. Logic studies arguments, breaking them down into premises. Deductive inferences draw specific conclusions from general rules, while inductive inferences draw general rules from specific cases, with their strength based on probability.
An inductive inference is a logical inference that is not absolutely true, given the truth of its premises. This makes it different from deductive inferences, which must be true if their premises are true. To explain this discrepancy, inductive inferences are traditionally preceded by the word “probably”. Deductive inferences tend to draw specific conclusions from general rules and inductive inferences typically draw general rules from specific cases.
The study of logic is essentially the study of arguments. It is intended to break down points raised in debates so that they can be objectively measured for validity. Arguments are usually broken down into premises, which are the facts upon which the inference is built.
For example, a classic deductive argument begins with the two premises, “All men are mortal” and “Socrates is a man.” From these premises, the inference “Socrates is mortal” can be drawn with deductive validity. In other words, if the two premises are true, then the conclusion will also be true. This is what is considered a valid argument.
An inference is something that can be drawn from a premise or from multiple premises. A very simplistic inference is simply the negative version of a premise. For example, from the premise “All men are mortal” a person can also infer that “No man is non-mortal.” Based on this premise, it is possible to deduce that if something is not mortal, it is not a man.
An inductive inference is one where the premises could be true but the conclusion false. For example, if Jane were to be seen walking her dog outside the market at seven on a Monday, and then seen again at the same time the following Monday, one could infer inductively that she would be there again the following week. It’s possible that the two premises, which are the sightings, could be true, yet she doesn’t show up the following week. However, an inductive inference could be made to state that it probably will be.
An inductive inference is also assigned a “strength” based on how probable it is. If Jane had been seen for ten weeks straight, the inductive inference would have been much stronger. If she had so far been seen only once, however, the inductive inference would be rather weak.
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