Inferences are steps in
reason
Reason is the capacity of Consciousness, consciously applying logic by Logical consequence, drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activ ...
ing, moving from
premises to
logical consequences; etymologically, the word ''
infer'' means to "carry forward". Inference is theoretically traditionally divided into
deduction and
induction, a distinction that in Europe dates at least to
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical Greece, Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatet ...
(300s BCE). Deduction is inference
deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be
true, with the
laws of valid inference being studied in
logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premis ...
. Induction is inference from
particular evidence to a
universal conclusion. A third type of inference is sometimes distinguished, notably by
Charles Sanders Peirce
Charles Sanders Peirce ( ; September 10, 1839 – April 19, 1914) was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician and scientist who is sometimes known as "the father of pragmatism".
Educated as a chemist and employed as a scientist for ...
, contradistinguishing
abduction
Abduction may refer to:
Media
Film and television
* "Abduction" (''The Outer Limits''), a 2001 television episode
* " Abduction" (''Death Note'') a Japanese animation television series
* " Abductions" (''Totally Spies!''), a 2002 episode of an ...
from induction.
Various fields study how inference is done in practice. Human inference (i.e. how humans draw conclusions) is traditionally studied within the fields of logic, argumentation stu