Arguments in Action Flashcards
What is a statement?
A statement is a type of sentence with truth value. This means it can either be true or false.
What is the only type of sentence that belongs in an argument?
A statement
What types of sentences don’t belong in an argument?
Questions
Commands
Exclamations
What is a question?
A question is a sentence which tries to find out information
What is a command?
A command is a sentence that tells you to do/not do something
What is an exclamation?
An exclamation is a sentence which conveys emotion
What is an argument?
A collection of statements that try to prove a claim is true
What is a conclusion?
A statement which is being proved
What is a premise?
A statement which supports the conclusion
What does a description do?
A description tells you about the qualities of something/someone
What is an explanation?
A collection of statements which help clarify/understand something better
What is a summary?
A short overview of of the main points in an argument/topic
What are indicator words?
Indicator words are words used to indicate that a statement is either a premise or conclusion. Not all statements use these words though.
What is an example of a conclusion indicator?
Therefore
Consequently
So
What is an example of a premise indicator?
Since or Because
What are the 3 criterias used when evaluating the premises of an argument?
Acceptability
Relevance
Sufficiency
What makes a premise acceptable?
-It is a known priori
-It is common knowledge
-It is known to be true
-It is plausible
-It is unambiguous
-It appeals to an appropriate audience
-It properly presents facts which support the conclusion
What does priori mean?
You can know it through reason/without experience
What is a fallacy?
An error which we make in our reasoning
What is an illegitimate appeal to authority?
Happens when a claim is said to be true because a person/group said it, however no attempt is made to justify why we should trust their opinion
What does an illegitimate appeal to authority do?
1) Be making a claim within their area of expertise
2) Have sufficient expertise in a relevant subject
3) Be making a claim on which there is an inadequate degree of agreement with other experts
4) Be free of significant bias
5) Be making a claim within a legitimate discipline
6) Have a reputation for not being reliable
7) Not have a vested interest in making you believe a particular claim
What is a slippery slope fallacy?
A slippery slope fallacy is a fallacy committed when an argument is given that suggests one thing will inevitably lead to another with insufficient evidence
How are not all slippery slopes fallacious?
If you can show that the consequences of the initial action are highly likely to occur, it is not fallacious
What is a confirmation bias?
The tendency to seek out information that confirms existing opinions and to avoid or reject information that suggests our opinions are wrong.