The term "logic" refers to the science that studies the

principles of correct reasoning. Logic requires the act of

reasoning by humans in order to form thoughts and opinions,
as well as classifications and judgments. The foundation of
a logical argument is its proposition, or statement. The
proposition is either accurate (true) or not accurate (false).
The argument is then built on premises. The premises are
the propositions used to build the argument. Then an
inference is made from the premises. Finally, a conclusion is
drawn.

Understanding Logic Through Examples

There are two types of logical arguments
- deductive and inductive. Examples of these are:
 Deductive - This type of reasoning provides complete
evidence of the truth of its conclusion. It uses a specific
and accurate premise that leads to a specific and
accurate conclusion. With correct premises, the
conclusion to this type of argument is verifiable and
correct.
 Inductive - This type of reasoning is "bottom up,"
meaning that it takes specific information and makes a
broad generalization that is considered probable, allowing
for the fact that the conclusion may not be accurate. This
type of reasoning usually involves a rule being
established based on a series of repeated experiences.
Examples of Deductive and Inductive
Logic
Deductive Logic
 All squares are rectangles. All rectangles have four sides.
Logic, therefore, tells you that all squares have four sides.
 It is dangerous to drive when it is snowing. It is snowing now.
Logic tells you that it would be dangerous to drive right now.
 All dogs have a good sense of smell. Bailey is a dog.
Therefore, deductive reasoning logic tells you that Bailey has a
good sense of smell.
 All seniors are bad drivers. Mr. Jones is 70 years old and you
won't let him drive your car because you think he is an unsafe
driver.
 When it rains the trees get wet. The trees are wet this
morning, so it rained last night.
 All trees have trunks. An oak tree is a tree. Therefore,
deductive reasoning tells you that the oak tree has a trunk.
Inductive Logic
 An umbrella prevents you from getting wet in the rain.
Ashley took her umbrella and she did not get wet. In this case,
you could use inductive reasoning to offer an opinion that it
was probably raining. Your concluson, however, would not
necessarily be accurate because Ashley would have remained
dry whether it rained and she had an umbrella, or whether it
did not rain at all.
 Every three year old you see at the park every afternoon
spends most of their time crying and screaming. Your
conclusion is that all three year olds spend their afternoon
screaming.
 Every house that burned down on the block was caused by
faulty wiring. You conclusion is that all homes on the block
have faulty wiring.
 Red lights prevent accidents. Mike did not have an accident,
therefore Mike stopped at a red light. This is an example of
inductive reasoning; but, it is faulty reasoning because Mike
might not have encountered any traffic signals at all.
Therefore, he might have been able to avoid accidents even
without stopping at a red light.