How do I make logical conclusions?

Logical thinking involves gathering information, organizing it, and evaluating it. The end result, hopefully, is a logical conclusion. There are two types of logical thinking. They are called inductive thinking and deductive thinking.

Putting a puzzle together is similar to inductive thinking. All of the pieces are gathered and joined together to produce a final picture. For inductive thinking, the facts and details are gathered and then a conclusion is made based on all of the facts and details. Using this type of thinking without first gathering all of the facts may lead to wrong conclusions.

Example If you study, if you get good grades, if you get a job, if you save money from the job, if you pick a college, if you apply, and if you are accepted; then you will be able to go to the college you want.

Deductive thinking involves taking the “whole,” a finished puzzle for example, and dividing it into its pieces. This allows a person to answer a question or to solve a problem about a specific part of a puzzle.

Syllogisms, are examples of deductive thinking. There are three parts to a syllogism. The parts are the major premise (a general truth or idea), the minor premise (a specific idea), and the conclusion. The conclusion is formed be relating the major premise to the minor premise to form a logical relationship. It is important to ensure that the major premise is true. If it is not true, any conclusion formed will not be logical.