Concepts in Logic

1. INFERENCE

•    It means “to infer” or to draw out or to get a truth or conclusion from something.
•   It is a process by which one proposition is arrived at and affirmed on the basis of          one or more other propositions accepted as the “starting point.”

2. ARGUMENT 

Any group of propositions of which one is claimed to follow from the  others, which are regarded as providing support or ground for the truth.

Examples:    JOHN is intelligent because he got excellent grades.

                  SHE is beautiful because she has long and shiny hair.

                  SHE is pretty because she is sexy.

3. SYLLOGISM

An instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly   or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion.

It is also known as "deductive reasoning".

          Example:       All men are rational.

                              John is a man.

                              Therefore, John is rational.