Deductive reasoning defines a conclusion reached by applying a general principle to a specific case. Which option reflects this?

• A. Inductive reasoning
• B. Analogical reasoning
• C. Deductive reasoning
• D. Causal reasoning

Answer: (C)

Applying a general principle to a specific case is deductive reasoning. In this approach you start with a universal rule and use it to infer something about a particular instance. If the general principle is true and the specific case fits it, the conclusion necessarily follows. For example, if the principle is “All humans are mortal” and you know that a person is a human, you can deduce that this person is mortal. This necessity of the conclusion is what sets deductive reasoning apart from other types, where conclusions are more probabilistic or based on similarities or causes rather than guaranteed by the starting principle. Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to a broader generalization, analogical reasoning relies on similarities between cases, and causal reasoning links events as cause and effect rather than applying a universal rule to a specific instance.