Sherlock Holmes and Jessica Fletcher along with other mystery solvers use this type of reasoning. Inductive reasoning represents the fundamental basis of modern science. Deductive reasoning, on the other hand, proceeds from the general explanation to the particular instance. The Greek philosophers are known for this type of reasoning. A hypothesis that is well-tested but still subject to modification is elevated to the status of a theory .
Theories have several roles in science.
The first is to define truth , it represents a well-tested hypothesis. A theory organizes what is known . It is this part of a theory that can be put into tabluar form. The third role of a theory is that it limits possibilities . Once again, a theory has been tested for predictability and therefore cannot represent more than one possible outcome.