This document provides examples and explanations of different types of reasoning: 1. Inductive reasoning examples include making predictions about a dog or chair based on past experiences, and concluding that humans are mortal since no one has lived past 125. 2. Deductive reasoning goes from general premises to specific conclusions, while inductive reasoning goes from specific observations to general conclusions. 3. Hypothetico-deductive reasoning involves forming a hypothesis and deducing predictions to test it. 4. The document discusses flaws in reasoning like post hoc fallacies and confusing correlation with causation.

1. Ways of Knowing Lesson 3

2. Some examples of Inductive reasoning
1. If my neighbour’s dog has been friendly to me in the past, I am
confident that it will not bite me today.
2. Since my chair has supported my weight in the past, I expect it to
continue to do so.
3. Since no human being has ever lived beyond the age of 125, I know that
human beings are mortal.
4. Language: based on inductive generalisation. When we give things
labels, we implicitly organise them into general classes so that we can
make predictions about them.
5. Science: uses inductive reasoning- formulates general laws on the basis
of a limited number of observations.
Can you think of any more examples?

3. Examples of Deductive Reasoning

4. Truth and Validity
Premises Logic Conclusion
True Valid Must be T.
True Invalid Could be T. or F.
False Valid Could be T. Or F.
False Invalid Could Be T. or F.

5. Deductive vs. Inductive
Deduction Induction
Definition Goes from general to
particular
Goes from particular to
the general
Example 1. All dogs are
mammals
2. Fido is a dog
3. Therefore, Fido is a
mammal
In history, people I know
and know of have died.
CONCLUSION: all humans
are mortal.
Value More certain, but less
informative.
More informative but
less certain.

6. Hypothetico Deductive Reasoning

7. Inference and Implication Example

8. 4. Flawed cause:
(a) Post hoc

9. (b) Confusion between correlation and cause

10. 5. ‘Straw Man’ – this is the misrepresentation of
an opponent in an argument in the following
possible ways:

11. Straw Man cont..

12. Reason vs Emotion

13. Some Optional Reasoning Puzzles!!

14. Solutions!

15. Faith

16. Four Ideas of Faith
Idea 1

17. Idea 2

18. Idea 3

19. Idea 4

20. How is faith connected with the
following images?

23. Case Study

24. Reflections