Abstract

The point of this paper is to show that deductive arguments may not be executed in deductive inferences, and reciprocally, deductive inferences, if they existed, may not instantiate deductive arguments. Three reasons for making this distinction between instances and executions of logical arguments are offered. For example, the pragmatic expectation of the consequent may instantiate a Modus Ponens argument form, but it does not execute a logical deduction. The proposed distinction clarifies the current state of the art on factual logically deductive inferences in two opposed directions: first, exemplifying a deductive argument is not enough for an inference to be deductive, and second, the same energy and time-consuming process may both execute and instantiate a deductive argument. Future experiments may show or discard the existence of recursive and semi-recursive processes being deductive inferences, that is, being at the same time instance and execution of a deductive argument form.