Lecture 9 : Claims And Argument Indicators

Question 1

What are philosophical claims?

Answer 1

Conclusions without premises that indicate something is or ought to be the case and are the building blocks of arguments.

Question 2

What must a sentence do to be considered a claim?

Answer 2

It must be claiming that something is true.

Question 3

Is ‘Stop the car!’ a claim?

Answer 3

No, it is a command.

Question 4

Is ‘The car is blue.’ a claim?

Answer 4

Yes, it asserts a truth.

Question 5

What is truth aptness?

Answer 5

The characteristic a claim has of being either true or false.

Question 6

How can you determine if a statement is a claim?

Answer 6

Ask: ‘Is it true/false that ______?’

Question 7

What do descriptive claims do?

Answer 7

Describe that something is the case.

Question 8

Characteristics of descriptive claims include:

Answer 8

• Generally uncontroversial
• Very easy to verify
• Correspond to evidence
• Are empirical

Question 9

What do normative claims prescribe?

Answer 9

What ought to be the case.

Question 10

Is ‘The death penalty ought to be abolished.’ a normative claim?

Answer 10

Yes, it prescribes a course of action.

Question 11

Normative claims are not always:

Answer 11

Moral or ethical.

Question 12

What defines a priori claims?

Answer 12

They are true due to definitions.

Question 13

Provide an example of an a priori claim.

Answer 13

A triangle has three sides.

Question 14

What is a key characteristic of a priori claims?

Answer 14

They are true by definition alone.

Question 15

What are a posteriori claims?

Answer 15

Claims that are true or false by virtue of experience.

Question 16

Provide an example of an a posteriori claim.

Answer 16

The Earth is round.

Question 17

How do you confirm the truth of a priori claims?

Answer 17

By understanding the terms involved.

Question 18

How do you confirm the truth of a posteriori claims?

Answer 18

By turning to experience for confirmation.

Question 19

What does background knowledge affect?

Answer 19

How we evaluate claims.

Question 20

What is necessary to support claims in an argument?

Answer 20

• Evidence
• An explanation
• Contextualization

Question 21

List some conclusion indicators.

Answer 21

• Therefore
• In conclusion
• Consequently
• Thus
• Hence

Question 22

What is a premise indicator?

Answer 22

Words that signal the support for a conclusion.

Question 23

List some premise indicators.

Answer 23

• Because
• Since
• For
• Given that
• Moreover

Question 24

What is a complex or chain argument?

Answer 24

An argument that has more than one conclusion.

Question 25

In the example provided, what is the main conclusion?

Answer 25

There should be light restrictions on the production of cigarettes.

Question 26

True or False: All arguments have indicator words.

Answer 26

False.