deductive reasoning and inferences

[drhess]

Can deductive reasoning involve an inference, or as soon as you make an inference are you now into something else? In other words, and I’m on cold medication so this may be nonsensical, if deductive reasoning is to go from a set of given axioms to a conclusion that is drawn from the axioms in a way that is logically consistent with them, if you then apply that to the real world, have you now gone outside of deduction?

This is relevant in a couple ways: a deductive proof is true in its own little world, but to see if it is true in the real world is something else. No? Or am I being too narrow in the use of the term deductive.

[Bryan_Ekers]

@drhess

This is relevant in a couple ways: a deductive proof is true in its own little world, but to see if it is true in the real world is something else. No? Or am I being too narrow in the use of the term deductive.

Well, deductive reasoning is a good tool for predicting what might be true, but once you try testing your theory, you’ve gone to the realm of empirical evidence. The basic scientific method has as its first step using inductive or deductive reasoning to form a hypothesis, then using testing to support or reject the hypothesis.