Evaluating Arguments Flashcards
Propositions can beβ¦(2)
- Evaluated against criteria for being true or false
- Supported by evidence
Things that are not propositions (4)
- Questions
- Commands/Imperatives
- Exclamations
- Greetings
Components of a Good Argument
- Premises (reasons) in the propositions must be true
- Are the premises true?
- The connection between the premises and conclusions must be good
- Would the conclusions follow if the premises are true?
Deductive Argument
An argument that attempts to show that its conclusion follows necessarily from the premises
- General to Specific
Valid
A deductive justification where the conclusion
would have to be true if the premises were true
A good deductive argument isβ¦
Sound = Valid + True premises
Inductive Argument
Conclusion goes beyond the information given in the premises
- Specific to General
Strong
The degree to which the premises of an inductive argument support the conclusion
Cogent
An inductive argument that is strong and has true (or very likely true) premises.
- Cogent = Strong + True premises
Descriptive proposition
Definition: Statements that describe facts about the world, whether true or false.
Nature: Objective, based on empirical observation or logical deduction.
Verifiability: Can be tested or verified through experience, observation, or scientific methods (opinion of others)
Ethical propositions
A moral/ethical proposition discusses how the world ought to be
Asserts the goodness/badness or rightness/wrongness of :
β Actions
β Motives for actions
β Consequences of actions
β Qualities of characters or a person in general
β Events/states of affairs
Tested by ethical reasons
Structure of an Ethical Argument
- A general ethical principle
- Factual assertion
- Conclusion
Moral theory
