№ 742. Civil v. Common

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Yes, civil law legal systems are generally considered to be deductive, while common law systems are inductive. 

Deductive reasoning is based on general rules to determine the outcome of a specific case. In civil law, judges start with general principles and interpret rules to reach conclusions. For example, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true. For example, "All dogs have ears; golden retrievers are dogs, therefore they have ears". 

In contrast, inductive reasoning involves extrapolating general rules from different cases with varying specific facts. Common law systems are based on precedent and inductive reasoning.

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