Inductive & Deductive Reasoning

In class we discussed the logic behind inductive and deductive reasoning, as well as specific examples of each of these types of reasoning. For this activity, you will watch a short scene from the movie Sherlock Holmes (2009) in which Sherlock Holmes uses reasoning to reach conclusions about his friend Dr. Watson’s new fiancé, Mary Morstan. You will then decompose the premises and conclusions of arguments within this scene. Refer to class notes from Units 10 (Logical Reasoning) as well as the Facione and Gittens (2013) readings from each of these units to help you complete this activity.

• Watch the scene from Sherlock Holmes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=388-rOzD9SM) and address each of the following:
  • Choose two arguments from the scene.
  • Identify whether each argument is inductive or deductive.
  • Construct the argument using the following format:

Premise #1: _______________________
Premise #2: _______________________

Conclusion: _______________________

Hint: if an argument you chose is deductive, also make sure to follow the appropriate language template (e.g., denying the consequent, applying a generalization, etc.).

Besides detective work as we saw in the Sherlock Holmes scene, describe in 2-3 sentences a real-life situation that may rely on the use of deductive and inductive reasoning

Answer preview

Reasoning is an act of developing valid arguments which is something people do daily. The development of arguments can be through inductive or deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning, also identified as bottom-up reasoning, is where an individual generates a conclusion first. According to Heit and Rotello (2010), one gives reasons based on trends to reinforce the probable truth; therefore, the argument here can be valid or invalid. On the other hand, with deductive reasoning, an individual uses true premises based on credible facts to confirm an inference. Sherlock Holmes is one individual known for using deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning to generate conclusions…

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