INFERENCE AND REASONING Lecture #6

REASONING – is an act of justifying something done. It is a mental activity wherein the

mind proceeds to the certain knowledge or certain establishment of another truth
through inferential process.

INFERENCE – is the process of deriving propositions or beliefs on the basis of other

propositions, rather than from direct experiences.
- To infer is to conclude by reasoning from premises or evidences.

It begins on what we know called “the known”. An inference, therefore, is a

process of drawing a conclusion from a premise.

TYPES OF INFERENCE

A. MEDIATE INFERENCE – is deriving a conclusion by reasoning from premises or

evidences through intermediary proposition. It is deriving conclusion from two or more
arguments by the aid of a third argument.

Examples:
All men are good by nature.
John Richard Soliman is a Man.
Therefore, John Richard Soliman is good by nature.

Philanthropist is a lover of charity.

But some generous people are philanthropists.
Therefore, some generous people are lovers of charity.

All men of integrity are not morally offensive.

But all morally offensive people are envious people.
Hence, a number of envious people are not men of integrity.

Deriving a conclusion in a mediate inference is deriving a conclusion from beliefs,

propositions and the basic features of a thing as experienced. There is a need for a
medium or process(induction and deduction) before a proposition is derived.

The inference must be valid. It must follow an inferential link or sequence. An

inferential link is the logical relationship between the premise and the conclusion. The
premise must logically flow into the conclusion. This also known as logical necessity or
logical force.

Examples:
It has an isosceles.
It has a hypotenuse. TRIANGLE
It has three sides.
 It bounces.
It is round. BASKETBALL
It is made up of rubber.

REASONING BY MEDIATE INFERENCE

a. DEDUCTIVE – the term “deductive” is deduced from deduco meaning “I lead down”.
It is one which proceeds from generalization to specific arguments. It is a form of
reasoning in which conclusions are derived from logical consequences.

Example:
All tax evaders are corrupt people.
But all opportunists are tax evaders.
We may infer that, all opportunists are corrupt people.

b. INDUCTIVE – the term “inductive” is deduced from induco meaning “I lead into”. It is
one which proceeds from specific to general arguments. It is a form of reasoning in
which conclusions are derived from particular observable phenomena.

Example:
My pens, papers, books, pads, and erasers are my personal things.
But my personal things are expensive.
Therefore, all my personal things are expensive.

B. IMMEDIATE INFERENCE – is deriving a conclusion directly from a single argument

or premise or a thing. Immediate inference draws a conclusion from a single
proposition directly without a medium or intermediary.

Example: No apple is papaya.

We can conclude that papayas are not apples and apples are not papayas.
Clearly, there is no need for a third argument to derive a conclusion. Immediate
inference is one which derives a conclusion directly from a single proposition, an
argument, a sentence or a statement.

Example:
No saint is a sinner.
No sinner is a saint.