When combined, 推理 (tuīlǐ) literally means “to push the logic forward.” This beautifully illustrates the concept: you start with facts or premises and “push” them along a logical path to arrive at a new understanding or conclusion.
While logic is a universal human faculty, its emphasis and style can differ across cultures. In the West, formal, explicit, Aristotelian logic is the foundation of “reasoning.” In China, while modern education has fully embraced this framework, traditional thought often incorporated more holistic or analogical reasoning. 推理 (tuīlǐ) in modern China is a key skill, highly valued in science, law, and business. It is seen as a cornerstone of modernization and critical thought. However, it can be subtly different from the Western concept of “critical thinking.” “Critical thinking” often carries a connotation of questioning authority and foundational assumptions. 推理 (tuīlǐ), on the other hand, tends to focus more purely on the mechanical process of drawing valid conclusions from a *given* set of information or premises. It's less about challenging the premises and more about expertly navigating the path from the premises to the conclusion. For a learner, understanding 推理 (tuīlǐ) is crucial for engaging in debates, understanding complex texts, and even appreciating Chinese mystery and crime dramas (called 推理剧 - tuīlǐjù), which are incredibly popular.
推理 (tuīlǐ) is a versatile word used in both formal and informal contexts.
The term is neutral and describes a mental process. Its connotation (good or bad) depends on adjectives used with it, such as 严密的推理 (yánmì de tuīlǐ - rigorous reasoning) or 错误的推理 (cuòwù de tuīlǐ - flawed reasoning).