UGC NET Paper 1 Unit 5 Topic 1 Types of Reasoning

📚 UGC NET Paper 1 Unit 5 Types of Reasoning

🔍 Master deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning with this guide covering syllogisms, logical fallacies, analogical reasoning, and real-world applications. Crucial for 4-6 NET questions per exam. �

💡 Quick Summary: Reasoning is the process of drawing conclusions from premises. Three core types:

1. Deductive: General → Specific (Certainty)
2. Inductive: Specific → General (Probability)
3. Abductive: Best explanation (Plausibility)

1. Deductive Reasoning

🔹 Characteristics

• Top-down approach
• If premises are true, conclusion must be true
• Valid vs Sound arguments:
  • Valid: Logical form is correct
  • Sound: Valid + True premises

🔹 Syllogism Patterns

Type	Structure	Example
Categorical	All A are B; All B are C; ∴ All A are C	All humans are mortal (Major premise) Socrates is human (Minor premise) ∴ Socrates is mortal (Conclusion)
Hypothetical	If P then Q; P; ∴ Q (Modus Ponens)	If it rains, the ground will be wet. It is raining. ∴ The ground is wet.
Disjunctive	Either P or Q; Not P; ∴ Q	Either the battery is dead or the bulb is broken. The battery is not dead. ∴ The bulb is broken.

📌 Memory Aid: "DEDUCE" for deductive traits - Definite, Explicit, Direct, Universal, Certain, Exhaustive

2. Inductive Reasoning

Key Features:

• Bottom-up approach
• Conclusion is probable, not certain
• Strength depends on:
  • Sample size
  • Representativeness
  • Absence of counterexamples

🔹 Types with Examples

Type	Structure	Example
Generalization	Specific observations → General rule	Every swan I've seen is white. ∴ All swans are white.
Analogical	Parallel case reasoning	Earth has life; Mars is like Earth; ∴ Mars may have life
Statistical	Numerical probability	95% of sampled doctors recommend X. ∴ Most doctors recommend X.

🔹 Mill's Methods (Inductive Logic)

1. Agreement: Common factor in all positive cases
2. Difference: Factor present only when effect occurs
3. Joint Method: Agreement + Difference combined

3. Abductive Reasoning

Characteristics:

• "Inference to best explanation" (Peirce)
• Used in medical diagnosis, detective work
• Structure: Observation → Hypothesis → Conclusion

🔹 Real-World Examples

• Medical: Patient has fever and rash → Likely chickenpox
• Everyday: Lawn is wet → Probably sprinklers were on
• Scientific: Unexpected data → Proposes new theory

4. Comparison of Reasoning Types

Criterion	Deductive	Inductive	Abductive
Direction	General → Specific	Specific → General	Observation → Explanation
Certainty	100% if valid	Probable	Plausible
Example	Mathematical proofs	Scientific predictions	Medical diagnosis

🔥 Most Repeated NET Questions:

1. "All men are mortal" is what type of premise? (Ans: Major premise in categorical syllogism)
2. Analogical reasoning is a subtype of? (Ans: Inductive)
3. Medical diagnosis uses which reasoning? (Ans: Abductive)
4. Mill's Methods are used for? (Ans: Inductive generalization)
5. If premises guarantee truth, it's? (Ans: Deductive)

📝 Logical Fallacies to Avoid

🔹 Common Fallacies in Reasoning

Fallacy	Definition	Example
Hasty Generalization	Small/unrepresentative sample	My two friends failed NET ∴ NET is very hard
False Dilemma	Limiting options artificially	Either ban phones or students will fail
Post hoc	Assuming causation after correlation	Rain dance caused rainfall

🚀 Application in Research

• Deductive: Hypothesis testing (Quantitative)
• Inductive: Theory building (Qualitative)
• Abductive: Grounded theory approaches

📌 Exam Tip: For "identify the reasoning type" questions:

1. Check if conclusion is certain (Deductive)
2. Look for probability words like "likely" (Inductive)
3. See if explaining an observation (Abductive)

💡 Pro Strategy: Practice creating syllogisms daily. Analyze news headlines for fallacies. Use Venn diagrams for categorical logic!