What reasoning approach did Aristotle primarily advocate?

Aristotle primarily advocated for deductive reasoning, which involves drawing specific conclusions from general principles or premises. This method is foundational in the development of logic and scientific reasoning. In deductive reasoning, if the premises are true and correctly structured, the conclusion must also be true. Aristotle illustrated this approach through syllogisms, wherein a conclusion is reached based on two premises, effectively establishing a systematic way to derive knowledge.

In contrast, inductive reasoning, which involves forming generalizations based on specific observations, does not follow the structured guarantees of deduction. While both reasoning approaches have their merits, Aristotle's emphasis was significantly on deductive logic as a critical tool for philosophical inquiry. Intuitive reasoning relies on immediate understanding without systematic analysis, and empirical reasoning emphasizes observation and experience, which while also important to scientific practice, were not the focus of Aristotle's logical framework.