Aristotle is believed to be the first to begin the study of any subject from the contextualization of the issue, i.e., by collecting, analyzing, and grouping all relevant facts. By determining their meaning and relations with each other, he developed a systematic and factually correct basis that allowed him to generalize about underlying rules or principles. Aristotle introduced two modes of generalizing by highlighting two directions – deductive and inductive – within inquiry methods: one guides from observed specific instance to the general principles; the other controversially, from the fundamental to instances or implications of principles. The notion of
syllogism, a means of deductive reasoning as proceeding from previously established general rules or facts down to particular instances, was introduced by Aristotle. His treatise is recognized as one of the earliest systematic study on the nature of scientific inquiry. Galileo originated grounds for a method of scientific study, the so-called
hypothetico-deductive method, generally used in modern scientific research. ==See also==