D EDUCTIVE R EASONING
By Kari Fowler

W HAT IS D EDUCTIVE R EASONING ?
 Opposite of Inductive Reasoning
 In Deductive Reasoning you are taking something general and applying it to a specific instance.
 3 Steps to Deductive Reasoning
 1) Take a general true conclusion
 2) Apply the conclusion to a specific instances to demonstrate…..
 3) The conclusion does indeed apply to the instance

T ERMS Y OU NEED T O K NOW
 Terms that you must use to argue deductively,
 Most, many, often etc .
 Absolute Terms: never use words like, all, never or always.

C HAPTER E XAMPLE
 Susan B. Anthony defended that fact that she had voted in the 1872 election- forty-eight years before women were given the right to vote.
 She claims she committed no crime but simply exercised her citizen’s rights.
 For support she commented on the preamble of the Federal Constitution.

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice…..and establish this
Constitution for the United States of
America.”

D ID Y OU C ATCH THAT !?!

“
of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice…..and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The Preamble states that “We the people,” not we the male citizens.
 We the people as in meaning both male and female.

T WO T ESTS FOR D EDUCTIVE R EASONING

First Test: Make sure it is valid. If it isn’t then it can’t be applied to specific instances. Needs factual support.
 Second Test: Whether the generalization applies to a particular case.

E XAMPLES
 Frogs are amphibians
 The Coqui is a frog native to Puerto Rico
 The Coqui is an amphibian.
 May I Have a Volunteer??????
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJyuy4B2aKU

 1) Give a short example of deductive reasoning not used in the powerpoint.
 2) What type of terms should you not use when arguing deductively?
 3) What is one way to test deductive reasoning?

T HE A NSWERS
 1) A variety of different answers! : )
 2) Do not use any terms that are extreme. For example, always and never.

3) First Test: Make sure it is valid. If it isn’t then it can’t be applied to specific instances. Needs factual support.
 Second Test: Whether the generalization applies to a particular case.

THE END I Feel
Smarter!!