# movements of the mind chapter 6 **Opening (not a real abstract):** At root, reasoning is entertaining a sequence of thoughts where one thought follows from another. “Follows from” means more than temporal or causal sequencing, but what more? Consider two sequences whose contents fit modus ponens. Case 1—Mere Causal Sequence: Subject S first entertains (1) the thought that if p then q, then (2) the thought that p, and finally (3) the thought that q. Case 2—Reasoning (Deducing): S entertains (1) the thought that if p then q, then (2) the thought that p, and then (3) concludes that q. What is the difference between these two cases? Not that the sequence instantiates the form of modus ponens. Not that they follow in an appropriate order or temporal sequence. Thoughts with these properties do not suffice for reasoning. Here is a simple answer: Case 2 must be an action while Case 1 need not. Indeed, **Authors:** [[Deducing, Skill and Knowledge]]