The term 'deductive reasoning' fills the blank and refers to a sequence of logical statements ending with a conclusion that must be true if the premises are true.
The blank in the statement can be correctly filled with the term 'deductive reasoning'. This term refers to a sequence of statements, where each statement is either a premise or follows from previous statements by rules of inference. The validity of a deductive argument is when, if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.
Deductive reasoning includes structures like disjunctive syllogism, modus ponens, and modus tollens, which are examples of valid deductive inferences. A good inference involves clear steps that ensure that if the premises are true, the conclusion necessarily follows, showcasing the importance of the inference process.