Informal Reasoning from "summary" of Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking by Merrilee H. Salmon,Salmon, Julie Andrew
Reasoning is an important skill that allows us to make decisions and solve problems. Informal reasoning involves understanding and evaluating arguments based on everyday life experiences. It is a valuable tool to think critically and draw meaningful conclusions.- Informal reasoning refers to the process of thinking in everyday life without using the rules or methods found in traditional logic and mathematics.
- It is often used when making decisions, drawing conclusions, or forming arguments.
- This type of logical inference applies ideas, judgments and assessments in order to identify inferences or solutions that will help arrive at a conclusion.
- Its success depends on a person's ability to observe accurately, check assumptions, consider different perspectives and maintain an open mind when interpreting information and drawing conclusions.
- Generally it encourages critical thinking and helps to construct ideas by identifying patterns and relationships which have not been noticed before.