folgerung

Folgerung is a German noun that denotes the act of drawing a conclusion from premises, evidence, or observed facts. In logic, philosophy, linguistics, and everyday language, it refers to an inference that follows from given information. The term highlights the cognitive process of reasoning, while the resulting statement may be called the Schlussfolgerung in more formal usage or simply the conclusion in ordinary speech.

Etymology and related terms: Folgerung derives from the verb folgern, “to deduce,” which itself relates to Folge, “following.” In formal contexts, the phrase logische Folgerung is used to describe a valid inference that follows rules of logic. In everyday language, Folgerung is often used interchangeably with Schlussfolgerung, though some writers distinguish Folgerung as the inferential process and Schlussfolgerung as the end result.

Types and scope: In logic, Folgerungen can be deductive, where the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises (modus ponens is a classic example), or inductive, where the conclusion is supported by the premises but not guaranteed. Abduktive Folgerungen, or abductive inferences, are inferences to the best explanation rather than strict logical necessity. The term is also used more broadly to describe conclusions drawn from observations or arguments in various disciplines.

Example: From the premises “Alle Menschen sind sterblich” and “Sokrates ist ein Mensch,” the Folgerung is “Sokrates ist sterblich.” This illustrates a straightforward deductive inference, a common textbook example of a Folgerung in logic.

See also: inference, deduction, conclusion, Schlussfolgerung, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning.