What argument style is represented by the combination of a major premise and a minor premise leading to a logical conclusion?

The combination of a major premise and a minor premise leading to a logical conclusion is characteristic of syllogism. This form of reasoning is pivotal in logical arguments, where a general statement (the major premise) is linked to a specific case (the minor premise) to reach a conclusion. For example, if the major premise states that "All humans are mortal," and the minor premise asserts "Socrates is a human," the logical conclusion derived would be "Socrates is mortal."

This method of reasoning is foundational in philosophy and logic because it allows for the establishment of truths based on established premises. Syllogisms offer a clear structure, making it easy to follow the path of reasoning from premises to conclusion.

Induction, in contrast, involves deriving general principles from specific observations, which does not use a defined structure of major and minor premises. Deduction works similarly but is often seen in broader applications rather than strictly following the syllogistic form. Abduction is a form of reasoning that seeks the most likely explanation for a set of observations, rather than following a strict logical progression of premises. Thus, the clear structure and logical coherence of syllogism is what makes it the appropriate answer in this context.