Inference
Inference
(Lat. in + ferre, to bear) The process of reasoning whereby starting from one or more propositions accepted as true, the mind passes to another proposition or propositions whose truth is believed to be involved in the truth of the former. Inference is a psychological process connecting propositions asserted to be true and is to be distinguished from implication, the logical relation which holds between the same propositions when the inference is valid. An inference is valid when a genuine implicative relation holds between the propositions, invalid when there is no such implicative relation. Inference is deductive or inductive according as the underlying logic is deduction (see Deduction) or induction (see Induction). W. B. Joseph, An Introduction to Logic. L. S. Stebbing, Modern Introduction to Logic. J. Cook Wilson, Statement and Inference. B. Bosanquet, Implication and Linear Inference. — L.W.
See Logic, formal and Valid inference.