Chapter 11 summaries TFY ENG 75
Inductive reasoning, or fallacies, is reasoning from a specific case or cases and deriving a general rule. It draws inferences from observations in order to make generalizations. Inference can be done in four stages: Observation: collect facts, without bias. Analysis: classify the facts, identifying patterns o of regularity. Inference: From the patterns, infer generalizations about the relations between the facts. Confirmation: Testing the inference through further observation. In an argument, you might: Derive a general rule in an accepted area and then apply the rule in the area where you want the person to behave. Give them lots of detail, then explain what it all means. Talk about the benefits of all the parts and only get to the overall benefits later. Take what has happened and give a plausible explanation for why it has happened. Inductive arguments can include: Part-to-whole: where the whole is assumed to be like individual parts Extrapolations: where areas beyond the area of study are assumed to be like the studied area. Predictions: where the future is assumed to be like the past.