reasoning wiki

Arguments

• abductive arguments

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  inference to the best explanation - reasoning from observations to hypotheses

  [abductive] [explanation] [hypothesis] [inference] [best-explanation] +1 more

• deductive arguments

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  necessary consequence reasoning - when premises guarantee conclusions

  [deductive] [validity] [soundness] [necessary] [monotonic] +1 more

• defeasible arguments

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  non-monotonic reasoning - rational inferences that can be overturned by new information

  [defeasible] [non-monotonic] [default-logic] [presumptive] [revisable] +1 more

• argument types

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  deductive, inductive, abductive, and defeasible reasoning patterns

  [arguments] [deductive] [inductive] [abductive] [defeasible] +2 more

• inductive arguments

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  probabilistic support reasoning - from specific observations to general conclusions

  [inductive] [probability] [generalization] [strength] [cogency] +1 more

Explained Simply

• if-then: the promise rule

  Jun 21, 2026 • updated

  implication explained simply: an "if… then…" is a promise, and there is exactly one way to break it

  [logic] [implication] [if-then] [beginners] [middle-school] +1 more

• logic, explained simply

  Jun 21, 2026 • updated

  a friendly on-ramp to reasoning and logic for curious minds (around ages 11+): every idea taught as a story plus a game you can try

  [logic] [reasoning] [beginners] [middle-school] [critical-thinking] +1 more

• the straw man trick

  Jun 21, 2026 • updated

  the straw man fallacy explained simply: swapping a real point for a sillier fake one that is easy to knock down

  [logic] [fallacy] [straw-man] [beginners] [middle-school] +2 more

Fallacies

• ad hominem

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  attacking the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself

  [ad-hominem] [personal-attack] [fallacy-of-relevance] [informal-fallacy] [debate] +1 more

• false dilemma

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  presenting only two options when more alternatives exist, creating artificial either/or choices

  [false-dilemma] [false-dichotomy] [either-or] [black-white-thinking] [fallacy-of-presumption] +1 more

• formal fallacies

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  structural errors in logic that make arguments invalid regardless of content

  [formal-fallacies] [logic] [validity] [invalid-forms] [structure] +1 more

• fallacies

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  common reasoning errors, formal and informal fallacies, and how to identify and avoid them

  [fallacies] [logic] [reasoning] [errors] [formal] +2 more

• informal fallacies

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  content and context errors in reasoning that undermine arguments through irrelevant, inadequate, or misleading information

  [informal-fallacies] [reasoning] [content-errors] [context] [relevance] +2 more

• straw man

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  misrepresenting someones argument to make it easier to attack and defeat

  [straw-man] [misrepresentation] [fallacy-of-relevance] [informal-fallacy] [debate] +1 more

• modality and uncertainty

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  necessity, possibility, knowledge, belief, obligation, and probabilistic measures in reasoning systems

  [modality] [alethic] [epistemic] [deontic] [uncertainty] +3 more

• reasoning ontology overview

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  formal rdf/owl specification for representing arguments, inference rules, and reasoning structures

  [ontology] [rdf] [owl] [semantic-web] [knowledge-representation] +1 more

• reasoning frameworks

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  abstract argumentation systems for modeling debate, conflict resolution, and automated reasoning

  [argumentation] [frameworks] [dung] [attack-relations] [defeat] +2 more

• complete study guide to reasoning and logic

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  structured learning paths and comprehensive guide to formal logic, reasoning patterns, argumentation theory, and critical thinking

  [logic] [reasoning] [study-guide] [learning-paths] [critical-thinking] +3 more

Inference Rules

• disjunctive syllogism

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  elimination by negation - reasoning by eliminating alternatives in either/or situations

  [logic] [inference] [disjunction] [elimination] [either-or] +1 more

• hypothetical syllogism

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  chain rule - transitivity of implication for building logical chains of reasoning

  [logic] [inference] [transitivity] [chain-rule] [conditional] +1 more

• inference rules

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  formal rules of logical inference - the valid patterns for deriving conclusions from premises

  [logic] [inference] [deduction] [modus-ponens] [modus-tollens] +1 more

• modus ponens

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  affirming the antecedent - the fundamental inference rule of conditional reasoning

  [logic] [inference] [deduction] [conditional] [implication] +1 more

• modus tollens

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  denying the consequent - reasoning backwards from failed outcomes to eliminate possibilities

  [logic] [inference] [deduction] [contrapositive] [falsification] +1 more

Logical Constructs

• choosing a logical operator

  Aug 15, 2025 • updated

  a practical guide and cheat sheet for selecting the right logical operator based on your desired outcome

  [logic] [operators] [cheat-sheet] [decision-tree] [programming-logic] +1 more

• biconditional (if and only if)

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  logical equivalence operator that is true when both statements have the same truth value

  [logic] [biconditional] [iff] [equivalence] [bidirectional] +1 more

• conjunction (and)

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  logical and operator that is true only when all operands are true

  [logic] [conjunction] [and] [binary-operator] [truth-table]

• disjunction (or)

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  logical or operator that is true when at least one operand is true

  [logic] [disjunction] [or] [binary-operator] [inclusive-or] +1 more

• implication (if-then)

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  logical conditional operator expressing that if the antecedent is true, then the consequent must be true

  [logic] [implication] [conditional] [if-then] [material-conditional] +1 more

• logical constructs

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  fundamental logical operations and connectives that form the building blocks of formal reasoning

  [logic] [operators] [connectives] [boolean] [truth-tables] +1 more

• negation (not)

  Aug 12, 2025 • updated

  logical not operator that inverts the truth value of a statement

  [logic] [negation] [not] [unary-operator] [complement] +1 more