INFERENCE
Once the premises have been set, your argument should proceed step-by-step through inference.
In inference, you start with one or more propositions which have been accepted; you then use those propositions to arrive at a new proposition. If the inference is valid, that proposition should also be accepted. You can use the new proposition for inference later on.
So initially, you can only infer things from the premises of the argument. But as the argument proceeds, the number of statements available for inference increases.
There are various kinds of valid inference--and also some invalid kinds, which we'll look at later on. Inference steps are often identified by phrases like "therefore ..." or "... implies that ..."
CONCLUSION
Your conclusion is the result of the final step of inference. It could be a conclusion for a particular argument, or for a premise.
NOTE: The tricky part is that you can start with false premises, proceed via valid inference, and reach a true conclusion. For example:
- Premise: All fish live in the ocean
- Premise: Sea otters are fish
- Conclusion: Therefore sea otters live in the ocean
IF YOU BEGIN WITH TRUE PREMISES & PROCEED VIA VALID DEDUCTIVE INFERENCE, YOU CAN'T REACH FALSE CONCLUSIONS!
