TOK Reasoning

premises

assumptions you’re using to logic

rationalism

a philosophy in which reason is the most important source of knowledge

deductive reasoning

moves from general to particular

preserves truth

inductive reasoning

from the particular to the general

generalization

informal reasoning

bad bad reasoning

fallacies

invalid patterns of reasoning

syllogisms

All dogs are animals.

Fido is a dog.

Therefore Fido is an animal.

(used in deductive reasoning)

enthymeme

incomplete argument

confirmation bias

only seeing evidence which supports your claims

number, variety, exceptions, coherence, subject area

5 criteria for good generalizations

post hoc ergo propter hoc

assuming that because B follows A, A must be the cause of B

Ad hominem

against the man reasoning

circular reasoning

assuming the truth of something you are supposed to be proving

special pleading

double standards

equivocation

same word different meanings in syllogisms

ad ignorantum

there’s no evidence to disprove it so it must be true

false analogy

this is like that in some ways so this must be like that in these other ways

false dilemma

i believe there are only two alternatives when there are actually very many

loaded questions

question containing built-in assumptions

prison of consistency

difficulty to change your mind

lateral thinking

creating, out of the box, thinking