The sources of knowledge III - deduction and induction
8.4 Deduction and induction
Read again the sections entitled ‘Deduction’ and ‘Induction’ that appear on pp. 91–3 of Chapter 9 of Pritchard.
You might also want to listen again to Marianne Talbot’s podcast.
Individual activity: Deduction and induction
Explain what makes an argument a deductive argument, and what makes an argument an inductive argument.
With your descriptions in mind, have a go at the following exercise. Try to decide which of the following two arguments is a deductive argument and which is an inductive argument.
- John is happy.
So, someone is happy.
AnswerDeductive
- John looks happy.
So, John is happy.
AnswerInductive
Make sure you understand the answers given.
You may find the following Internet resource of help in completing this activity:
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ‘Deductive and Inductive Arguments’.