Lesson 11

Deductive Reasoning

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. define deductive reasoning and its importance;

2. understand the steps involved in deductive reasoning;
3. apply deductive reasoning to solve problems and real life
scenarios to draw logical conclusions;
4. practice deductive reasoning with fun exercises; and
5. differentiate between inductive and deductive reasoning.

Introduction
Deductive reasoning is the process of arriving at a logical conclusion
from general ideas. It is a fundamental skill with pervasive
significance in everyday life and serves as the cornerstone for making
logical inferences and reaching sound conclusions based on established
principles and premises. In decision-making, be it personal or
professional, it empowers individuals to assess information, foresee
consequences, and make informed choices. This skill transcends
disciplines, fostering critical thinking and enabling individuals to
navigate a wide range of situations with clarity and rationality.

Real-Life Applications
1. Legal System: Deductive reasoning is crucial in the legal field
to draw logical conclusions from presented evidence and apply
existing laws to make sound judgments.
2. Science: Scientists use deductive reasoning to develop hypotheses
and design experiments based on established principles. They draw
conclusions from empirical data logically.
3. Mathematics: Proving theorems. Mathematicians use it to establish
the validity of theorems by applying logical rules and axioms.
4. Computer Programming: Programmers rely on deductive reasoning to
create algorithms and code. They construct logical sequences of
instructions to achieve specific outcomes in software.
 5. Medical Diagnosis: In medicine, deductive reasoning is used to
assess symptoms and medical history to arrive at a logical
diagnosis, ruling out potential causes systematically.
6. Quality Control: Quality control personnel use deductive
reasoning to identify deviations from standards and pinpoint the
causes of issues in the production process.
7. Criminal Investigations: Detectives and investigators employ
deductive reasoning to piece together clues and evidence to solve
crimes, forming logical narratives to explain events.
8. Puzzles and Games: Logic puzzles and games often require
deductive reasoning to solve. Players use logical thinking to
deduce solutions.
9. Philosophy: Philosophers engage in deductive reasoning to
construct logical arguments. They use premises to draw
conclusions and explore complex philosophical questions.

Steps in Deductive Reasoning

1. Start with premises.
2. Apply logical rules.
3. Reach a conclusion.

Examples of Deductive Reasoning

1. All bees can fly. Maryen is a bee. Therefore, Maryen
can fly.
2. All artists are creative. Zar is creative. Therefore, Zar is an
artist.
Practice Exercises
State the premises, apply logical rules, then reach a conclusion.
1. All smart people excel in academics. Aise excels in academics.
Answer: Therefore, Aise is smart.
2. What am I?
I am used daily in various forms. I’m often associated with
communication. You can find it in your pocket, hand, or bag.
Answer: Phone
3. a = 8, b = 15, c = ? Use Pythagorean Theorem
Answer: 17
Identifying Inductive vs. Deductive Reasoning
Deductive reasoning - to make the conclusion guaranteed.
Example: Ella doesn’t like red flags. Kris is a red flag.
Therefore, Ella doesn’t like Kris.

Inductive reasoning - to make the conclusion probable.

Example: “We haven’t seen our instructor for today. So, we should be
safe from the quiz later.”

Activity #1
Deductive Reasoning

Name: ____________________________ Date Submitted: _______________

Course/Section: __________________ Score : _______________

I. Multiple Choice. Encircle the correct answer. (5 points)

1. What is deductive reasoning’s primary objective?

a. Formulating new hypotheses.
b. Drawing logical conclusions from general ideas.
c. Analyzing historical data.
d. Identifying patterns in observations.
2. In the context of deductive reasoning, what is the role of
premises?
a. They are irrelevant to the process.
b. They are used to draw specific conclusions.
c. They are applied after reaching a conclusion.
d. They only exist in inductive reasoning.
3. In deductive reasoning, what is the final step after starting with
premises and applying logical rules?
a. Generating new premises. b. Make up guesses.
c. Reaching a conclusion. d. Observe some scenarios.
4. Which of the following examples demonstrates inductive reasoning?
a. "John loves music. All musicians love music. So, John must be a
musician."
b. "If all mammals have hair, and cats are mammals, then cats have
hair."
c. "All students in our class passed the last quiz. So, everyone will
pass the next one."
d. "Birds can fly. Robin is a bird. So, Robin can fly."
5. Which of the following is NOT a real-life application of deductive
reasoning?
a. Mathematics b. Legal System
c. Philosophy d. Deductive reasoning is used in all of these.

References:
https://www.theforage.com/blog/skills/deductive-reasoning