Gevolgtrekkend

Gevolgtrekkend is a Dutch adjective used to describe reasoning, conclusions, or arguments in which the conclusion is drawn from premises. The term is common in philosophy, logic, linguistics, and rhetoric to indicate an inferential process, and it can be applied to both deductive and inductive forms of inference. In many Dutch texts it is presented as a neutral label for reasoning that proceeds from given statements to new conclusions.

Etymology of the word reflects its meaning: gevolg means consequence or outcome, and trekken means to draw. The participle gevolgtrekkend literally means drawing conclusions. The related noun gevolgtrekking refers to the act of deriving a consequence or a derived conclusion.

Usage and nuances: In Dutch scholarship one speaks of gevolgtrekkende redenering or gevolgtrekkende conclusies to denote that a claim follows from earlier statements. The label does not, by itself, certify validity or soundness; it only signals that an inference is being made. In technical contexts, writers may specify the type of inference as deductief (deductive) or induktiv (inductive), while also using inferentieel as a broader descriptor equivalent to inferential in English.

Examples: A deductive gevolgtrekkende redenering would be: All humans are mortal; Socrates is a human; therefore, Socrates is mortal. An inductive example could be: The sun has risen every day in recorded history; therefore, it will likely rise tomorrow. Both are described as gevolgtrekkende reasoning because they derive conclusions from prior premises or observations.

See also: gevolgtrekking, deductieve redenering, inductieve redenering, inferentie.