ARGUMENTS IN ACTION

Question 1

What is the definition of a statement?

Answer 1

A SENTENCE, OR PART OF A SENTENCE, CAPABLE OF BEING TRUE OR FALSE

Question 2

What distinguishes a question from a statement?

Answer 2

A QUESTION IS A SENTENCE USED TO GET INFORMATION, UNLIKE A STATEMENT THIS CANNOT BE TRUE OR FALSE

Question 3

What distinguishes an exclamation from a statement?

Answer 3

AN EXCLAMATION IS A SUDDEN CRY OF REMARK AND UNLIKE A STATEMENT THIS CANNOT BE TRUE OR FALSE

Question 4

What distinguishes a command from a statement?

Answer 4

A COMMAND IS AN ORDER AND UNLIKE A STATEMENT THIS CANNOT BE TRUE OR FALSE

Question 5

What distinguishes an argument from a statement?

Answer 5

AN ARGUMENT IS A SERIES OF STATEMENTS PUT FORWARD TO DEFEND A CONCLUSION. UNLIKE A STATEMENT THIS CANNOT BE TRUE OR FALSE

Question 6

What is the definition of an argument?

Answer 6

AN ARGUMENT IS A SERIES OF STATEMENTS (PREMISES) GIVEN IN SUPPORT OF A CONCLUSION (THE POINT THAT IS BEING ARGUED FOR)

Question 7

What is the definition of a premise?

Answer 7

THE PART OF AN ARGUMENT WHICH IS INTENDED TO DEFEND THE CONCLUSION

Question 8

What is the definition of a conclusion?

Answer 8

WHAT AN ARGUMENT ATTEMPTS TO PROVE THE TRUTH OF

Question 9

What distinguishes a description from an argument?

Answer 9

A DESCRIPTION IS A PIECE OF WRITING THAT TELLS US WHAT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IS LIKE WHILE AN ARGUMENT IS A SERIES OF STATEMENTS PUT FORWARD TO DEFEND A CONCLUSION

Question 10

What distinguishes an explanation from an argument?

Answer 10

AN EXPLANATION SEEKS TO CLARIFY SOMETHING OR MAKE IT UNDERSTANDABLE WHILE AN ARGUMENT IS A SERIES OF STATEMENTS PUT FORWARD TO DEFEND A CONCLUSION

Question 11

What distinguishes a summary from an argument?

Answer 11

A SUMMARY IS A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE MAIN POINTS OF SOMETHING WHILE AN ARGUMENT IS A SERIES OF STATEMENTS PUT FORWARD TO DEFEND A CONCLUSION

Question 12

What distinguishes a statement from an argument?

Answer 12

A STATEMENT IS A SENTENCE, OR A PART OF A SENTENCE, CAPABLE OF BEING TRUE OR FALSE WHILE AN ARGUMENT IS A SERIES OF STATEMENT PIT FORWARD TO DEFEND A CONCLUSION

Question 13

What are premise/conclusion indicators?

Answer 13

IN THE STRUCTURE OF AN ARGUMENT PREMISES AND CONCLUSION INDICATORS ARE OFTEN USED. THESE INDICATORS OFTEN GIVE US A HINT THAT AN ARGUMENT IS BEING PRESENTED

Question 14

What are some premise indicators?

Answer 14

BECAUSE | SINCE | FIRSTLY, SECONDLY | IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT | FOLLOWS FROM | MAY BE INFERRED/DEDUCED/DERIVED FROM

Question 15

What are some conclusion indicators?

Answer 15

SO | THEREFORE | IT FOLLOWS THAT | HENCE | CONSEQUENTLY | SUGGESTS/PROVES/DEMONSTRATES THAT | ENTAILS, IMPLIES

Question 16

What is the definition of an intermediate conclusion?

Answer 16

A CONCLUSION THAT IS MEANT TO SERVE AS A PREMISE FOR A LATER CONCLUSION

Question 17

What is standard form?

Answer 17

A CONSISTENT WAY OF ORGANISING AND PRESENTING ARGUMENTS THAT INVOLVES: IDENTIFYING THE PREMISES AND CONCLUSION | PRESENTING THE PREMISES AND CONCLUSION AS STAND-ALONE STATEMENTS | LISTING THE PREMISES AND CONCLUSION IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE | DRAWING AN INFERENCE BAR BETWEEN THE PREMISES AND CONCLUSION

Question 18

How is standard form presented?

Answer 18

PREMISE 1
PREMISE 2
SO ON AND SO FORTH
______________________________
CONCLUSION

Question 19

What makes premises in an argument acceptable?

Answer 19

KNOWN A PRIORI TO BE TRUE | IS KNOWN TO BE TRUE OR CAN BE ACCEPTED AS TRUE | IS A MATTER OF COMMON KNOWLEDGE | IS PLAUSIBLE, THAT IS, IT IS REASONABLE TO TAKE IT TO BE TRUE | IS UNAMBIGUOUS | APPEALS TO AN APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY | PROPERLY REPRESENTS THE FACTS PERTAINING TO THE CONCLUSION

Question 20

What makes someone appropriate authority?

Answer 20

SOMEONE WHO IS: MAKING A CLAIM WITHIN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE | HAS SUFFICIENT EXPERTISE IN A RELEVANT SUBJECT | MAKING A CLAIM ON WHICH THERE IS AN ADEQUATE DEGREE OF AGREEMENT WITH OTHER EXPERTS | FREE OF SIGNIFICANT BIAS | MAKING A CLAIM WITHIN A LEGITIMATE DISCIPLINE | HAS A REPUTATION OF BEING RELIABLE | DOESN’T HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN YOU BELIEVING A PARTICULAR CLAIM

Question 21

What makes premises in an argument relevant to the conclusion?

Answer 21

PROVIDES SOME JUSTIFICATION TO SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION | GIVES SUPPORT TO ANOTHER RELEVANT PREMISE | CONTAINS AN APPROPRIATE ANALOGY | ATTACKS THE CLAIM RATHER THAN THE PERSON PUTTING FORWARD THE CLAIM

Question 22

What makes premises in an argument to draw the conclusion?

Answer 22

ACCEPTABLE AND RELEVANT | ARE ENOUGH TO ENGENDER A WELL FOUNDED CONFIDENCE IN THE CONCLUSION

Question 23

What is the definition of an inductive argument?

Answer 23

AN ARGUMENT BASED ON EXPERIENTIAL PREMISES WHERE THE CONCLUSION GOES BEYOND WHAT IS SAID IN THE PREMISES. THE CONCLUSIONS OF AN INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT ARE USUALLY SAID TO BE PROBABLE RATHER THAN CERTAIN

Question 24

What is the definition of a deductive argument?

Answer 24

DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH THEIR CONCLUSIONS FOR CERTAIN

Question 25

What is the definition of a valid argument?

Answer 25

AN ARGUMENT IS VALID WHEN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PREMISES TO BE TRUE AND THE CONCLUSION TO BE FALSE

Question 26

What is the definition of a sound argument?

Answer 26

A VALID ARGUMENT WITH TRUE PREMISES

Question 27

What is the definition of a cogent inductive argument?

Answer 27

A STRONG INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT WITH TRUE PREMISES

Question 28

What is the definition of a conductive argument?

Answer 28

A CONDUCTIVE ARGUMENT IS AN ARGUMENT WHOSE PREMISES ARE CONVERGENT; THE PREMISES COUNT SEPARATELY IN SUPPORT OF THE CONCLUSION

Question 29

What is the definition of an analogical explanation?

Answer 29

THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN AN ARGUMENT, ANALOGICAL EXPLANATIONS AIM TO HELP US UNDERSTAND A CONCEPT OR THING BY COMPARING IT TO SOMETHING WE ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH

Question 30

What is the definition argument?

Answer 30

TO ARGUE BY ANALOGY IS TO ARGUE THAT BECAUSE TWO THINGS ARE SIMILAR, WHAT IS TRUE OF ONE THING IS ALSO TRUE OF THE OTHER

Question 31

What is the definition of a counterexample?

Answer 31

A COUNTEREXAMPLE IS SOMETHING WE CAN USE TO SHOW THAT A UNIVERSAL STATEMENT IS FALSE

Question 32

What is the definition of an informal fallacy?

Answer 32

AN ARGUMENT WHICH MAY BE FORMALLY VALID YET IS FALLACIOUS BECAUSE IT HAS FALSE PREMISES OR AMBIGUOUS TERMINOLOGY OR GRAMMAR

Question 33

When does lexical ambiguity occur?

Answer 33

WHEN A SINGLE WORD OR PHRASE HAS MORE THAN ONE MEANING

Question 34

When does syntactic ambiguity occur?

Answer 34

WHEN A SENTENCE, BECAUSE OF ITS GRAMMAR, STRUCTURE, OR PUNCTUATION, CAN BE INTERPRETED IN MULTIPLE WAYS

Question 35

What is an illegitimate appeal to authority?

Answer 35

AN ILLEGITIMATE APPEAL TO AUTHORITY HAPPENS WHEN A CLAIM IS ACCEPTED BECAUSE SOME PERSON OR GROUP ASSERTS IT IS TRUE, WITHOUT JUSTIFYING THE RIGHT OF THAT PERSON OR GROUP TO BE REGARDED AS AUTHORITATIVE IN THIS MATTER

Question 36

What makes authority legitimate?

Answer 36

BE MAKING A CLAIM WITHIN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE | HAVE SUFFICIENT EXPERTISE IN A RELEVANT SUBJECT | BE MAKING A CLAIM ON WHICH THERE IS AN ADEQUATE DEGREE OF AGREEMENT WITH OTHER EXPERTS | BE FREE OF SIGNIFICANT BIAS | BE MAKING A CLAIM WITHIN A LEGITIMATE DISCIPLINE | HAVE A REPUTATION OF BEING RELIABLE | NOT HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN YOU BELIEVING A PARTICULAR CLAIM

Question 37

What is the definition of a slippery slope fallacy?

Answer 37

AN INFORMAL FALLACY THAT CLAIMS THAT ONE THING WILL INEVITABLY LEAD TO ANOTHER RELATED AND USUALLY WORSE SITUATION, WITHOUT SHOWING THAT THESE EVENTS ARE INEVITABLE. IT IS ARGUED THAT BECAUSE THE FINAL STATE IS UNDESIRABLE, THAT WE MUST NOT ALLOW THE FIRST EVENT OR ACTION TO OCCUR

Question 38

What is a slippery slope?

Answer 38

IT CLAIMS THAT ONCE ONE STEP HAS BEEN TAKEN IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP FURTHER STEPS IN THAT DIRECTION. THIS, THE NAME, SLIPPERY SLOPE, AS WE CAN IMAGINE THAT ONCE YOU START SLIDING DOWN A SLIPPERY SLIDE, YOU ARE UNABLE TO GET BACK UP AGAIN, WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT

Question 39

What are features of a slippery slope?

Answer 39

A SLIPPERY SLOPE WILL ALWAYS BEGIN WITH A WARNING | THERE IS A CLAIM THAT ACCEPTING THE COURSE OF ACTION WILL INEVITABLY RESULT IN LATER HAVING TO ACCEPT A STATE OF AFFAIRS WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNAPPEALING | THEREFORE, THE COURSE OF ACTUON SHOULD BE REJECTED | SLIPPERY SLOPE ARGUMENTS CONTAIN A SERIES OF INCREMENTAL STEPS THAT MAY BE MADE EXPLICIT OR MAY BE JUST IMPLIED | SLIPPERY SLOPE ARGUMENTS ARE USUALLY REGARDED AS FALLACIOUS ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE RESULTING STATE OF AFFAIRS IS NOT INEVITABLE

Question 40

What is confirmation bias?

Answer 40

THE TENDENCY TO NOTICE OR SEEK OUT INFORMATION THAT CONFIRMS EXISTING OPINIONS AND TO AVOID OR REJECT INFORMATION THAT SUGGESTS OUR OPINIONS ARE WRONG

Question 41

What is the definition of ad hominems?

Answer 41

THIS FALLACY IS COMMITTED IF IT IS ARGUED THAT A CLAIM IS FALSE ON THE GROUND THAT IT IS PUT FORWARD BY A PARTICULAR PERSON. IT IS ARGUED THAT SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON MEANS THAT WE SHOULD ASSUME THEIR CLAIM IS FALSE

Question 42

What is an abusive ad hominem?

Answer 42

THE ARGUERS CONCLUSION IS TAKEN TO BE FALSE BECAUSE OF A NEGATIVE TRAIT ABOUT THE PERSON

Question 43

What is a circumstantial ad hominem?

Answer 43

IN THE AD HOMINEM CIRCUMSTANTIAL FALLACY, THE ARGUER’S CLAIM IS REJECTED BECAUSE IT IS ARGUED THEY ARE MAKING THE CLAIM BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKELY TO GAIN FROM IT BEING ACCEPTED. ALSO, IT CAN REJECTED BECAUSE IT IS ARGUED THEY ARE MAKING THE CLAIM BECAUSE OF THEIR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Question 44

What is tu quoque ad hominem?

Answer 44

THE ARGUER’S CONCLUSION IS ASSUMED TO BE FALSE BECAUSE THEIR BEHAVIOUR IS INCONSISTENT WITH THEIR ADVICE. THIS CAN SUGGEST THAT THE ARGUER IS A HYPOCRITE

Question 45

When is an attack in the person not fallacious?

Answer 45

AN ATTACK ON A PERSON IS NOT FALLACIOUS IF IT IS RELEVANT TO THE CONCLUSION

Question 46

What is a fallacious appeal to emotion?

Answer 46

A FALLACIOUS APPEAL TO EMOTION IS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE OF A CLAIM BY APPEALING TO SOME EMOTION, RATHER THAN PROVIDING RELEVANT REASONS TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM. THE EMOTIONAL RESPONSE IS IRRELEVANT TO THE TRITH OF THE CONCLUSION BEING ARGUED FOR

Question 47

What are legitimate appeals to emotion?

Answer 47

THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SOME CASES WHERE APPEALING TO EMOTION IS APPROPRIATE

Question 48

What is post hoc ergo propter hoc?

Answer 48

THIS INFORMAL FALLACY IS FALSELY ASSUMING THAT BECAUSE SOME EVENT FOLLOWED ANOTHER THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FIRST EVENT

Question 49

What is the definition of a formal fallacy?

Answer 49

A COMMON ERROR IN REASONING THAT IS FALLACIOUS BY VIRTUE OF HAVING AN INVALID STRUCTURE OR FORM