Arguments In Action

Question 1

What is an argument

Answer 1

A collection of statements organised into premises and a conclusion. The conclusion is the point of the argument while the premises support the conclusion

Question 2

What is a fallacy ?
what is an informal fallacy ?
What is a formal fallacy ?

Answer 2

An argument that contains faulty reasoning
problem with the content
problem with the structure.

Question 3

List all the fallacies

Answer 3

Post hoc ergo proper hoc 
Appeal to emotion 
Appeal to authority 
Attacking the person 
Slippery slope 
Denying the andecedent 
AfFirming the consequent 
Appeal to ignorance 
Appeal to irrelevant consequences
Circular argument 
False dilemma

Question 4

Appeal to emotion

Answer 4

This is when the argument tries to appeal to someone’s emotions to make there argument seem more appealing. For example X will be good
X will happen

Question 5

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Answer 5

This is when assumptions are made that because two things occur at the same time they are related I.e. I took the pills and my fever disappeared. The pills may not be the reason your fever disappeared.

Question 6

Attacking the person

Answer 6

The person in the argument is made out to be bad and there information cannot be trusted for example , my client suggests that lowering taxes will be good - this is coming from a women who drinks a bottle of wine a night. It is making out that you cannot trust her.

Question 7

Appeal to authority

Answer 7

Two types appeal to aproproate authority , this is when the information comes from an expert in the field I.e if you eat too many sweets your teeth will be sore. My dentist says so .
An illogetimate appeal to authority when a claim is made by someone who isn’t a expert in the field. Man Utd will win . My dentist says so.

Question 8

Slippery slope

Answer 8

Someone provides absurd further scenarios to detract the reader from an opinion they view as being unfavourable , for example If we allow same sex marriages then next thing we know people will be marrying their cars and parents .

Question 9

Denying the andecedent

Answer 9

This is when the conclusion does not follow the premises and isn’t true for example

If P then Q
Not P
not q

If it is raining then the grass is wet . It isn’t raining therefore the grass will not be wet

Question 10

Affirming the consequent

Answer 10

This is when you make an assumption as a conclusion for example ,

If p then Q
Q
P

If I have the flu then I have a sore throat. If I have a sore throat therefore I have the flu

Question 11

Thought experiments ?

Answer 11

These are imagined scenarios to help philosophers explore a theory. For example the spider in the urinal , a man noticed that a spider was staying in the urinal at his work , he believed it had a sad life as it always got peed on. So he decided to free the spider as he believed it would have a better life. However the spider died when it was removed. This raises the question of the quality of animals life’s and if we should intervene.

Question 12

What is a statement

Answer 12

A sentence that contains a fact. Therefore it can be judged true or false. For example 2+2=4

Question 13

What is formalising ?

Answer 13

This is when an argument is organised into premises and a conclusion. An inference bar is placed between the premise and conclusion

Question 14

What are hidden premises ?

Answer 14

These are premises the reader takes for granted that isn’t stated in the argument , for example you do drugs , you won’t live long , the hidden premise is that drugs are bad for your health

Question 15

What is an inductive argument

Answer 15

An argument that is based on personal experience for the example all the lumberjacks I ever met have worn hats , therefore all lumberjacks wear hats. Inductive arguments can be cogent or strong

Question 16

Explain cogent and strong

Answer 16

Cogent means the information is correct and strong means it has happened a lot of times

Question 17

Describe deductive argument

Answer 17

This is when an argument has a general premises but works to a specific conclusion . For example , all cats are mammals poppy is a cat therefore poppy is a mammal. They can be sound or valid

Question 18

Describe sound and valid

Answer 18

If it is sound this means the information is correct. If it is valid this means the structure is correct and true premises will guarantee a true conclusion.

Question 19

What is statement logic form ?

Answer 19

A way of writing an argument to see it’s structure the x and y thing

Question 20

What is set logic form ?

Answer 20

It’s an argument diagram used to show the structure of reasoning an argument has. It also shows hot the premises fit together to reach a conclusion

Question 21

What’s the 3 types of statements you can get

Answer 21

Command
Exclamation
Question

Question 22

What is premise

Answer 22

A part of an argument that provides information that supports the conclusion

Question 23

What are indicator words and give examples

Answer 23

Words such as therefore ,so hence are indicators that this is the conclusion while premise indicator word includes as since and because

Question 24

What is an appeal to ignorance fallacy

Answer 24

This is when because no proof is given you assume it can’t happen however just because there is no proof doesn’t mean it can’t happen

Eg

No one actually proofs God exists
Therefore God does not exist

Question 25

What is a circular argument

Answer 25

This is when it is difficult to tell which is a premise and which is a conclusion as they both rely on each other

Eg the bible is the word of God .Thats what God tells us in the bible

Question 26

What is a false dilemma

Answer 26

This is when you are only given 2 options when there are actually more than 2

Eg you either go to university or get a job

There’s more than these 2 options as you could get an apprenticeship

Question 27

Appeal to irrelevant consequences fallacy ?

Answer 27

This is when the consequences being good or bad will determine the act happening.
e.g if you don’t believe in god you will go to hell.

Question 28

what are analogical arguments ?

Answer 28

This is when parallels are drawn between two different but related things. They usually work by pointing out that A resembles B. A has a particular quality and therefore so will .

Question 29

example of an analogical argument ?

Answer 29

Birds have 2 legs and 2 eyes. Humans also have 2 legs and 2 eyes. Birds can also fly , therefore humans can fly.

Question 30

how do you asses the strength of an analogical argument ?

Answer 30

the strength depends on how similar the two things being compared are.