Given below are some characteristics of reasoning. Select the statement that…

Concept

Deductive reasoning is governed by logical consequence rather than by the way its premises were obtained.

A deductive argument is valid when it is impossible for all its premises to be true and its conclusion false; arguments can therefore be classified as valid or invalid.

Application

Requiring a conclusion to be based on observation and experiment makes empirical evidence from particular cases essential. That requirement belongs to empirical or inductive inquiry, not to the defining relation of deductive consequence.

Contrast

• “Supported by the premise or premises” describes the link between stated reasons and a conclusion.

• “Must follow necessarily from the premise or premises” states the defining necessity of a valid deduction.

• “May be valid or invalid” recognizes that deductive arguments are assessed by validity.

Cross-check

Deductive validity can be tested from the argument form without conducting an observation or experiment. This separates the empirical-evidence statement from the three premise-and-validity statements.

Result

Therefore, “The conclusion must be based on observation and experiment” is not a characteristic of deductive reasoning.