INDUCTIVE VS. DEDUCTIVE WRITING ADAPTED PARTIALLY FROM DR. TAMARA FUDGE, KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

INDUCTIVE VS. DEDUCTIVE WRITING ADAPTED PARTIALLY FROM DR. TAMARA FUDGE, KAPLAN UNIVERSITY

HOW DO I TELL IF AN AUTHOR IS ARGUING DEDUCTIVELY OR INDUCTIVELY? In both case, a question or problem must be resolved. As you have learned, deductive and inductive reasoning are the main ways to present/structure arguments. To review, the difference can be stated simply: From general to specific From specific to general Deductive moves from general to specific, from known facts to conclusions. One can use therefore with certainty. Inductive reasoning moves from specific to general, going from observations to conclusions. Or, observing something is true many times, then concluding that it will be true in all instances. The conclusion results in a claim that is often called an inference. Data is used to make a prediction.

HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD ARGUE DEDUCTIVELY OR INDUCTIVELY? It depends on the CONTENT (the "what of a text, your topic or issue ); the intended AUDIENCE (for whom you are writing, includes their values, biases, assumptions are they likely to be receptive, unsure, or resistant?); and your overall PURPOSE (what you want to accomplish, i.e., persuade, call to action, enlighten, entertain, etc.) These are all part of what is called the Rhetorical Situation, which we will focus on in the next module.

IF YOU WANT YOUR AUDIENCE TO DISCOVER NEW THINGS WITH YOU, OR THEY ARE RESISTANT TO YOUR ARGUMENT, THEN INDUCTIVE WRITING MIGHT MAKE SENSE. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: My dog Max wants to chase every non-human living creature he sees, whether it is the cats in the house or rabbits and squirrels in the backyard. Sources indicate that this is a behavior typical of Jack Russell terriers. While Max is a mixed breed dog, he is approximately the same size and has many of the typical markings of a Jack Russell. From these facts along with his behaviors, we surmise that Max is indeed at least part Jack Russell terrier.

Within that short paragraph on the previous slide, we learned about Max s manners and a little about what he might look like, and then the concluding sentence connected these ideas together, but it does not have to be one sentence that does the connecting. The example is simple, yes, but it illustrates an inductive argument well. This kind of writing often keeps the reader s attention, as they must read all the pieces of the puzzle before they are connected. While purposes for this kind of writing include creative writing and persuasive essays, such as rebellious Jane Tompkins Indians, Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History, a majority of academic work is done in deductive form. For example, consider the 5-paragraph essay taught in middle school (which some college professors may still require); it calls for deductive reasoning by requiring the major claim/thesis at the end of the first paragraph, and in the conclusion, we are taught to to tell them what you told them and to rephrase the thesis.

INDUCTION IF YOUR AUDIENCE IS UNSURE OR RESISTANT: For those of you who watched David Lowery s lecture on Jane Tompkins s Indians: Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History (2.1), you ascertained that Tompkins s audience is not college students; in fact, you learned that the context for her writing is the theory wars of the 1980s and 1990s. This was a time when the way people though about literature, nonfiction, and ways of knowing (epistemology) were being challenged. Scholars were moving away from textualism, so Tompkins would have encountered resistance for her radical approach and conclusion from some scholars. She published her essay in Critical Inquiry, an academic journal mostly read by academics and based in issues of critical theory. It is also, as stated by Lowery, a place for theoretical combat. Tompkins knew that she wanted to argue for a specific way of studying and understanding history, as well as against the way it is taught (she indicts academia!), and that some of the more conservative readers of the journal would not be receptive to her. Consequently, she chose to argue inductively so that her readers would be taken on a journey, one in which they are discovering along with her and might be compelled to come to the same conclusion she did, or at least see the merit in her concussion.

WHAT ABOUT DEDUCTIVE REASONING? If your audience is friendly, neutral, on the fence, uninformed, or what some instructors call general, or even not likely going to read the entire essay, then deductive reasoning might make more sense, as the reader can be quickly refreshed or informed. Moreover, they could look for what they want by reading the major claim/thesis and/or quickly scanning first sentences of each paragraph.

A MOST BASIC EXAMPLE OF DEDUCTIVE REASONING, THIS IS My backyard is in dire need of cleaning and new landscaping. The Kentucky bluegrass that was planted there five years ago has been all but replaced by Creeping Charlie, a particularly invasive weed. The stone steps leading to the house are in some disrepair, and there are some slats missing from the fence. Perennials were planted three years ago, but the moles and rabbits destroyed many of the bulbs, so we no longer have flowers in the spring.

From the first sentence in the paragraph on the previous slide, the reader knows that the backyard is a mess. Hence, the writer is arguing from general to specific, as the author goes on to give specific reasons. This paragraph could have ended with a clarifying conclusion sentence; while it might be considered redundant to do so, deductive essays, especially within the scientific community, tend to work through deductive reasoning by providing (1) a premise or argument which could also be called a thesis statement, (2) then evidence to support the premise, and (3) finally the conclusion. Purposes for this kind of writing include business letters and project documents, where the client is more likely to skim the work for generalities or to hunt for only the parts that are important to him or her. Again, scientific writing tends to follow this format as well, and research papers and that infamous 5 paragraph essay greatly benefit from deductive writing.

SHERLOCK HOLMS USED DEDUCTIVE REASONING TO HELP SOLVE CRIMES

SOME FINAL WORDS Whether one method or another is chosen, there are some other important considerations. First, think about how best to persuade your audience. In addition, it is important that the facts/evidence be true. Perform research carefully and from appropriate sources; make sure ideas are cited properly in MLA format and style (for this course). You should probably avoid absolute words such as always, never, and only, because they exclude any anomalies. In fact, I pointed out that some of you made what is called the fallacy of Sweeping Generalization (speaking for ALL people) in your worldview essay. (Note: we will look closely at informal fallacies later in the course.) Anytime we try to speak for all people, we usually tell a lie. Lastly, avoid quotes in thesis statements or conclusions, because they are not your own words and thus undermine your authority as the paper writer.