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UGC NET Paper 1: Unit 6

Forms of an Argument

Understanding Deductive, Inductive, and Abductive reasoning with simple examples and previous year questions.

1. Deductive Argument

A deductive argument is a form of reasoning in which the conclusion is necessitated by the premises.

Fundamental Property

If the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true. Asked in Exam

Certainty

The conclusion follows necessarily from the premises. Asked in Exam

Structure

It moves from general principles to specific instances.

General
Specific

Validity and Invalidity

✅ Validity

A deductive argument is valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises. Asked in Exam

❌ Invalidity

An argument is invalid if the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises.

📝 Exam Examples of Validity

Valid but False Premises:

"All pigs are sheep. All sheep are goats. Therefore, all pigs are goats."

This is a valid argument because if the premises were true, the conclusion would have to be true.

2. Inductive Argument

An inductive argument involves reasoning from specific observations to broader generalizations.

🎲 Probability

If the premises are true, then the conclusion is probably true. Asked in Exam

🌿 Nature

It extends beyond the premises to generalize or predict.

Strength and Weakness

Evaluated as weak or strong, not valid/invalid.

Weak Strong
Strong Argument Conclusion follows probably.

3. Comparison: Deductive vs. Inductive

Feature Deductive Argument Inductive Argument
Claim Certainty Probability
Evaluation Valid / Invalid Strong / Weak
Final Quality Sound / Unsound Cogent / Uncogent

4. Important Exam Rules

Truth vs. Validity

Attributes of Propositions
  • Truth/Falsehood applies to propositions only.
  • Validity NEVER applies to single propositions.
Attributes of Arguments
  • Validity/Invalidity applies to arguments only.
  • Truth NEVER applies to arguments.

5. Abductive Argument

Definition: Inference to the best explanation.

Example:

1 Observation: The grass is wet. 💧
3 Conclusion: It likely rained.

6. Assertion and Reason Questions

In this format, you evaluate two statements:

Assertion (A): A declarative statement positing a fact.
Reason (R): A rationale or explanation for the assertion.

Evaluation Steps:

1. Check if (A) is True.
2. Check if (R) is True.
3. Check if (R) is the correct explanation for (A).