Logic & Argument Basics

Question 1

perception

Answer 1

learning through directly taking in the world around us

Question 2

testimony

Answer 2

learning by trusting reliable person (science, history

Question 3

inference

Answer 3

certain thins are indicators of other things

Question 4

indicator/sign

Answer 4

target fact

Question 5

Argument

Answer 5

series of propositions/statements, where one is a conclusion (what you want the person to believe) and the other is the premise (reason/s in support)

Question 6

Logic

Answer 6

Academic discipline devoted to understanding and analyzing how reasons support conclusions

Question 7

claim without premise

Answer 7

only an assertion

Question 8

hidden premises

Answer 8

feel like they can go left unsaid / unexplained

Question 9

principle of charity

Answer 9

assume someone is rational unless proved to be otherwise

Question 10

reason

Answer 10

support your conclusions - persuasion

Question 11

explanation

Answer 11

not used to convince, how things are

Question 12

Deductive argument

Answer 12

an argument which, if successful proves or guarantees its conclusion

Question 13

Inductive argument

Answer 13

an argument which, if successful, only establishes that is conclusion is more likely

Question 14

Reasons

Answer 14

Support conclusions - persuasions

Question 15

Explanations

Answer 15

not used to support, these are facts and they are accepted as true

Question 16

form

Answer 16

structure, how the premises are put together, can be represented with symbols

Question 17

content

Answer 17

the actual truth of the premises

Question 18

logical strength

Answer 18

how well it is structured (form) - blue prints to a house, nothing to do with validity

Question 19

factual strength

Answer 19

are the premises true or not (content) - the material with which a house is made of (good lumber)

Question 20

Argument from sample
(inductive)

Answer 20

take something and assume the larger pop. will have that too. finding a general feature of a sample set and then extrapolate from this to make a claim about the larger population from which it was taken

Question 21

convergent arguments / balance of considerations
(inductive)

Answer 21

used when we have to make decisions about some course, tally up major reasons for or against a choice

Question 22

Inference to the best explanation (inductive)

Answer 22

the premises are some set of data we need to explain and the conclusion is the explanation that we think best does so.

Question 23

Explanatory power

Answer 23

Inference to the best explanation - can this explain for everything better than other possible explanations

Question 24

Coherence

Answer 24

Inference to the best explanation - does this cohere with other things I know, background info goes with your explanation

Question 25

Simplicity

Answer 25

Inference to the best explanation - if both explanations are strong, this is the tie breaker, which one has the least assumptions, less number of theoreticals

Question 26

Validity

Answer 26

term for logical strength in deductive arguments, if the premises are true, it forces a true conclusion (inductive arguments cannot be valid)

Question 27

Soundness

Answer 27

when an argument is both valid and has true premises. This also guarantees a true conclusion