Argument Reconstruction

Question 1

What are the 3 important questions to answer in identification?

Answer 1

1) is there an argument presented?
2) what is the conclusion
3) what are the premises

Question 2

What are indicators?

Answer 2

some writers use words to indicate they are stating a conclusion or a premise:

conclusion: therefore, hence, so
premise: this is true because, the evidence is, my reasons are

Question 3

What is extraneous material?

Answer 3

extraneous material is anything stated in a passage which does not affect the argument (e.g. rhetoric/scene setting) - should be excluded from reconstruction

Question 4

what does implicit conclusion/premise refer to?

Answer 4

sometimes writers do not overtly declare their conclusion or premises and we must communicate this explicitly for them during reconstruction

Question 5

what is the art of controversy?

Answer 5

Schopenhauer’s 38 ways to win an argument (crookedly), e.g. extension of opponent’s position

Question 6

Principle of Charity

Answer 6

when we are constructing arguments we should aim for the best possible reconstruction of the argument