critical reasoning

Question 1

modus ponens

Answer 1

if P, then Q
P
therefore Q

Question 2

modus tollens

Answer 2

if P, then Q
not Q
therefore not P

Question 3

deductively valid

Answer 3

deductive arguments only
if the conclusion is guaranteed by the premises

Question 4

soundness

Answer 4

if a deductively valid argument has strong inferential moves it is sound

Question 5

cogency

Answer 5

if an inductive arguments premises are true and the inferential moves are strong it is cogent

Question 6

inductive

Answer 6

common sense

Question 7

deductive

Answer 7

fact

Question 8

antecedent

Answer 8

P

Question 9

consequent

Answer 9

Q

Question 10

analytic statement

Answer 10

true by definition e.g. all bachelors are unmarried men

Question 11

synthetic statement

Answer 11

cannot decide if its true or false only by thinking of the words meaning
used to assert a relationship or opinion
e.g. doctors are rich

Question 12

appeal to adverse consequences

Answer 12

action a is bad
designed to persuade you against something

Question 13

false dichotomy

Answer 13

making it out as if there are only two options when there are more than just two
either/or

Question 14

begging the question

Answer 14

when the conclusion of the argument is the same as one of the premises and the argument goes in a circle
e.g. i am good looking therefore i am handsome

Question 15

the straw man argument

Answer 15

criticising a misrepresentation of the other’s argument and attacking them for something they did not say/imply
e.g. i am a feminist
ur a feminist? so u hate men?

Question 16

ad populum

Answer 16

when something is thought to be true bc a large number of people believe it to be true
e.g. book a is a bestseller, therefore it is a good book

Question 17

non sequitur

Answer 17

when the conclusion does not follow from the premises
e.g. our product is so good film stars buy it, so what????

Question 18

definist fallacy/biased definition

Answer 18

when a key term is used in a way that is not based on the generally accepted meaning of the word
e.g. abortion is wrong because it’s murder

Question 19

post hoc ergo propter hoc

Answer 19

thing a happened and then after that thing b happened, so a must have caused b to happen
generally applies to one time happenings and is used to show causation

Question 20

confusion of correlation and causation

Answer 20

every time thing a happens, thing b also happens so thing a must be the cause of thing b. there might be correlation but that’s not evidence of a causal relationship

Question 21

slippery slope fallacy

Answer 21

used negatively to deter from the original point
e.g. lower legal drinking age
everyone will drink
including psychos
the drunk psychos will kill everyone
humans will become extinct

Question 22

weasel words

Answer 22

give the impression that the speaker has more justification than they do

vague/ambiguous/euphemistic

Question 23

vague

Answer 23

unclear

Question 24

ambiguous

Answer 24

up to interpretation

Question 25

euphemestic

Answer 25

a word used instead of a harsher word e.g. let go instead of fired