deductive argument: forms of deductive arguments. Inductive Argument: Forms of Inductive Arguments

1. TYPES OF ARGUMENTS
By: Zarmeen Durrani

2. DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS
 An argument in which it is impossible for a
conclusion to be false if its premises are true.
 General Specific
Example
All birds have legs.
Pigeons have legs
Therefore, all pigeons are birds.

3. FORMS OF DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS
 ARGUMENT BASED ON MATHEMATICS
The conclusion depends on a mathematical or
geometric measurement.
Example: 1+1 = 2
• There’s no room for a different answer by
reevaluating the argument. 1 + 1 will always equal
2. If you have 1+1, then it’ll always equal 2.

4.  ARGUMENT FROM DEFINITION
The conclusion is depend on the definition of a word or
phrase used either in a premise or in the conclusion.
Example:
Alex is a cardiologist.
Therefore, Alex is a doctor

5. SYLLOGISM
Syllogism is a form of reasoning in which conclusion is
drawn from two give premises.
o One premises is major premises
o Second premises is a minor premises.
Example
All planets are round (Major Premises)
Earth is a planet (Minor Premises)
Therefore, Earth is round. (Conclusion)

6. • CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISMS
– Made up of exactly two premises and one conclusion. Begin
with the words “all”, “some”, and “no”.
Example:
All fishes swim
Every shark is a fish
Therefore, every shark swims
• HYPOTHETICAL SYLLOGISMS
– Syllogisms (two premises and one conclusion) that have a
conditional statement for one (or both) of its premises.
Example:
If I do not wake up, then I cannot go to work.
If I cannot go to work, then I will not get paid.
Therefore, if I do not wake up, then I will not get paid.

7.  DISJUNCTIVE SYLLOGISM
Disjunctive syllogism is a valid argument form which is
a syllogism having a disjunctive statement for one of its
premises.
It is an “ Either, or” statement.
Example
Either he is going to study law or medicine
He is not going to study law
Therefore, he is going to study medicine.

8. INDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS
An argument in which it is improbable for the
conclusion to be false if its premises are true.
 Specific General
Example:
Socrates was Greek.
Most Greeks ate fish.
Therefore, Socrates probably ate fish.

9. INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT FORMS
 PREDICTION
– An argument that works based off our knowledge of the past in
order to make a claim about the future.
Example:
There tends to be a lot of rain in the Midwest
so it will probably rain there tomorrow.
 ARGUMENT FROM ANALOGY
– Depends on the existence of similarity between two
separate things.
Example:
My Honda gets good gas mileage.
So it follows that John’s Honda also gets good gas mileage

10.  GENERALIZATION
– An argument that is applied to a whole group based on
knowledge gained from a small sample of people.
Example:
seven out of ten students in school love snooker.
So I can say that half of students in school love snooker.
 ARGUMENT FROM AUTHORITY
– An argument that concludes something is true because an expert
said it is.
Example:
Centrum vitamins work because Dr. Jones did a study that proved
it.

11.  ARGUMENT BASED ON SIGNS
– Conclusion based on knowledge gained from a sign about
what the sign claims to mean.
Example:
A sign on the side of the road says “School Zone” so I can
assume that a school is somewhere up ahead.
 CAUSAL INFERENCE
– Argument that proceeds from knowledge of a cause to a claim
about its effect, or vice versa, that knowledge of an effect can
provide information about its cause.
Example:
I left a soda in the freezer last night
so I can assume that it is frozen
I can not receive my email.
The internet must be down.