1.3 Terms

Question 1

Deductive argument

Answer 1

is an argument incorporating the claim that it is impossible for the conclusion to be false given that the premises are true

Question 2

Inductive argument

Answer 2

An inductive argument is an argument incorporating the claim that it is improbable that the conclusion be false given that the premises are true (34).

Question 3

Inductive indicators

Answer 3

“improbable,” “plausible,” “implausible,” “likely,” “unlikely,” and “reasonable to conclude.”

Question 4

Deductive indicators

Answer 4

certainly,” “absolutely,” and “definitely.” “It must be the case that” is a conclusion indicator that can occur in either deductive or inductive arguments.

Question 5

Argument based on mathematics

Answer 5

An argument based on mathematics is an argument in which the conclusion depends on some purely arithmetic or geometric computation or measurement.

 Arguments in pure mathematics are deductive.
 Arguments in statistics are inductive.

Question 6

Argument from Definition

Answer 6

an argument in which the conclusion is claimed to depend merely on the definition of some word or phrase used in the premise or conclusion (36).

Question 7

Syllogism

Answer 7

an argument consisting of exactly two premises and one conclusion

Question 8

categorical syllogism

Answer 8

a syllogism in which each statement begins with one of the words “all,” “no,” or “some”

Question 9

hypothetical syllogism

Answer 9

a syllogism having a conditional (“if . . . then”) statement for one or both of its premises

Question 10

disjunctive syllogism

Answer 10

a syllogism having a disjunctive (“either … or …”) statement.

Question 11

Inductive forms of argumentation.

Answer 11

Inductive arguments are such that the content of the conclusion is in some way intended to “go beyond” the content of the premises.

Question 12

prediction

Answer 12

an argument that proceeds from our knowledge of the past to a claim about the future

Question 13

argument from analogy

Answer 13

an argument that depends on the existence of an analogy, or similarity, between two things or states of affairs.

Question 14

generalization

Answer 14

an argument that proceeds from the knowledge of a selected sample to some claim about the whole group.

Question 15

argument from authority

Answer 15

an argument that concludes something is true because a presumed expert or witness has said that it is.

Question 16

argument based on signs

Answer 16

an argument that proceeds from the knowledge of a sign to a claim about the thing or situation that the sign symbolizes

Question 17

causal inference

Answer 17

an argument that proceeds from knowledge of a cause to a claim about an effect, or, conversely, from knowledge of an effect to a claim about a cause.

Question 18

particular statement

Answer 18

one that makes a claim about one or more particular members of a class

Question 19

general statement

Answer 19

makes a claim about all the members of a class.