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Deduction
Deduction is one of the two chief approaches to human thinking, the other approach being induction. Although some philosophers have proposed other approaches such as abduction, the two approaches most widely recognized by logicians remain deduction and induction. Of those two, deduction has received relatively more attention and appreciation in the history of logic and theory development and constitutes the major form of modern logic.
Deduction Defined
According to Aristotle (385–322 B.C.E.), deduction is inference from the general to the particular. Although he discussed both deduction and induction in his book the Organon (The Instruments), his primary focus was deduction, mainly in the form of his syllogism, which is still deemed as representative of deductive logic. The Oxford English Dictionary adopts Aristotle’s definition and defines deduction as ...
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