Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning is a logical process where conclusions are drawn from general principles or premises that are known or assumed to be true. It starts with a general statement and applies it to a specific case. For example, if all humans are mortal (general premise), and Socrates is a human (specific case), then it follows logically that Socrates is mortal. This type of reasoning is foundational in fields like philosophy, mathematics, and formal logic because it guarantees the truth of the conclusion if the premises are true, distinguishing it from inductive reasoning, which deals with probability rather than certainty.