Abducted by abductive reasoning

Two types of reasoning are deductive and inductive reasoning.

Another type of reasoning is abductive reasoning.

Deductive reasoning is top-down backward-chaining and involves the "logic" part of truth. This is what is traditionally called mathematics or informatics (especially computational and programming language theory).
Inductive reasoning is bottom-up forward-chaining and involves the "reality" part of truth. This is what is traditionally called science.
Abductive reasoning is that of "inference to the best explanation" using available evidence or observations to determine the "most likely explanation".

Anyone, such as philosophers, theologians, etc., who prefer to use opinion truth, would prefer a word that can be used, via equivocation, to be an opinion-based "inference to the best explanation".

More: Equivocation deception between names and meanings

There is a saying that goes something like the following.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Wikipedia.

This is a form of "abductive reasoning" and appears to have been first stated by the poet James Riley (1849-1916). Wikipedia. The reasoning has been stated in various forms since then.

Abductive reasoning, as compared to inductive or deductive reasoning, appears to be a way to justify reasoning by way of opinion.

That is, if abductive reasoning looks like an opinion, swims (acts) like an opinion, and quacks (sounds) like an opinion, then it is functionally equivalent to an opinion.

More: Imitator or impersonator of Christ

People in areas tend to think differently in that they may tend to approach the solution to a problem in different ways.

Business people tend to think deductively, in that they have problems and are looking for solutions to those problems.

Computer people tend to think inductively, in that they have solutions and are looking for problems to use those solutions on.

One example of abductive reasoning, used by Wikipedia, is that of the board game of Mastermind.

The idea of abductive reasoning was proposed by American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. He used other names such as presumption and retroduction but the name abduction caught on.

Why might this idea have become so popular in the field of reasoning?

... more to be added ...

Abductive reasoning is not to be confused with abducted reasoning as in being abducted by aliens.

Do UFO (Unidentified Flying Object)'s exist?
How about angels, demons, etc.?

Details are left as a future topic.

Some things cannot be completely tested using induction.

Test each tire to see how long the tire will last. You would have no tires left to sell.
Test the rising of the sun to see if it rises forever. One would never get done. And if it does not rise, you are done anyway.

[Laplace - certain assumptions may not be needed]

1 2 + - ▶

[FIVE and NINE]

The best way to determine the meaning of a word is not to use a dictionary.

[constraint logic puzzle, abductive reasoning]
The best way to determine the meaning of a word is to look at the use of the word and infer a meaning or meanings from context.

[expert systems, rule-based, pattern-based, artificial/machine intelligence]

More: Easter: Shape of the cross


declarative - inductive bottom-up	imperative - deductive top-down

To evaluate a disjunction (or any expression), one needs to pick an order in which to evaluate.
As one goes from inductive (some call it abductive) to deductive reasoning, the assumptions in the deductive reasoning become important. This can involve the following.

"Assuming the conclusion", called "begging the question".
This can involve "circular reasoning" as a general concept.

Some try to avoid or side-step the argument by asserting that Jesus never claimed to be Lord.

[abductive reasoning]

More: Catch-22 situations

More: The viscous cycle of catch-22 situations

More: Trilemma: liar or lunatic or Lord

There is a saying that goes something like the following.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Wikipedia.

This is a form of "abductive reasoning" and appears to have been first stated by the poet James Riley (1849-1916). Wikipedia. The reasoning has been stated in various forms since then.

Abductive reasoning, as compared to inductive or deductive reasoning, appears to be a way to justify reasoning by way of opinion.

That is, if abductive reasoning looks like an opinion, swims (acts) like an opinion, and quacks (sounds) like an opinion, then it is functionally equivalent to an opinion.

More: Imitator or impersonator of Christ