Differences between Induction and Deduction

In the Western philosophical tradition, two fundamental modes of reasoning are known: deductive (that is, the deduction) and the inductive (that is, the induction), differentiated from each other in the method they use to reach their conclusions respective: broadly speaking, deduction goes from the general to the particular, while induction goes in the opposite direction, that is, from the particular to the general.

Both terms come from Latin: "induction" is born from the word induction, composed in turn by the voices in- (“inwards”) and sweet ("drive"); and "deduction" of the word deduction, composed of the voices from- (“from top to bottom”) and sweet ("drive"). And each has been considered, throughout history, as the most important or relevant method of human thought: the philosophers empiricists such as Francis Bacon (1561-1626) or David Hume (1711-1776), for example, defended induction as the main method of reasoning; while rationalists like Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) or Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) gave this role to deduction.

In many cases, induction and deduction are opposed and opposed, although they can also be considered as particular and autonomous reasoning methods. For example, scientific inferences are previously based on induction studies; and all scientific induction is sustained in the deductive verification of its postulates.

Differences between deduction and induction

Examples of deductive reasoning

Some examples of deductive reasoning are as follows:

1. premise 1: All living things die someday.
   premise 2: The human being is a living being.
   conclusion: All human beings die someday.
2. premise 1: No animal can speak.
   premise 2: Rats are animals.
   conclusion: No rat can speak.
3. premise 1: Today is Tuesday.
   premise 2: I don't work on Tuesdays.
   conclusion: I'm not working today.
4. premise 1: The planets are spherical.
   premise 2: Earth is a planet.
   conclusion: The Earth is spherical.

Inductive Reasoning Examples

Some examples of inductive reasoning are as follows:

1. premise 1: The table in my house is square.
   premise 2: The tables at my work are square.
   conclusion: Most tables are square.
2. premise 1: I don't know anyone who likes reggaeton.
   premise 2: My friends don't know anyone who likes reggaeton either.
   conclusion: Very few people like reggaeton.
3. premise 1: Dogs are made of cells.
   premise 2: Dogs are animals.
   conclusion: Animals are made of cells.
4. premise 1: Comet X passes close to Earth every 100 years.
   premise 2: Empires usually last about a century.
   conclusion: Empires fall when comet X passes.

References:

• "Inductive Reasoning"in Wikipedia.
• "Deductive reasoning" in Wikipedia.
• “The three modes of inference” by Gonzalo Génova in the National University of Navarra (Spain).
• "Induction and deduction" in the Soviet Dictionary of Philosophy.

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