Which term best describes predicting specific results according to general principles?

• A. Inductive reasoning
• B. Deductive logic
• C. Abductive reasoning
• D. Hypothetical deduction

Answer: (B)

Predicting a specific outcome by applying a general principle is deductive logic. It starts with a broad rule and uses it to determine what must be true for a particular case. For example, if all humans are mortal and Socrates is a human, then Socrates is mortal. This shows how a general principle specifies a concrete result in a given situation.

Inductive reasoning, in contrast, builds a general rule from many specific observations, not a single case prediction from a rule. Abductive reasoning seeks the best explanation for evidence, rather than deducing a definite result from a general principle. Hypothetical deduction involves reasoning about what would happen under a supposed condition, which is a different form of reasoning.