ch. 8 Reasoning Flashcards
what is rhetorical proof?
proof established through interaction btw the speaker and the listeners; provides support for a conclusion but not assurance that is true.
what are the components of proof?
- claim
- supporting material
- reasoning
what is a claim?
a statement that a speaker asks listeners to accept and that the speaker tries to prove
what is the supporting material
evidence
in terms of reasoning, what is inference?
a mental leap from the supporting material to the claim
what are the different types of reasoning?
- example
- analogy
- signs
- cause
- testimony
- narrative
what is example?
specific instances used to illustrate a more general claim
what is analogy?
a comparison of people, places, things, events, or more abstract relationships
what are signs?
something that stands for something else
what is cause?
a person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon or condition
what is testimony?
relying on other people for the accuracy of supporting materials.
what is narrative?
using reasoning to talk about hypothetical, real, or fictional events
what are the 4 tests for inference for example?
1) are there enough examples?
2) do the examples represent the whole category?
3) are the examples ambiguous?
4) are the examples fallacious?
what is a fallacy?
an inference that appears to be sound but that, on inspection, contains a significant flaw
what is the fallacy of composition?
assuming that what is true of the part is automatically true of the whole
what are the 2 tests for inference of analogy?
1) are there basic differences as well as similarities?
2) do the differences outweigh the similarities?
what are the 3 tests for inference of signs?
1) is an alternative explanation more credible?
2) can the alleged sign be found without the thing for which it stands?
3) Is the sign part of a pattern, or a single unusual case?
what are the 5 tests for inference of cause?
1) has a sign relationship been confused with a casual relationship?
2) does a common cause of both factors make it seem that they have a cause-effect relationship?
3) is there a post hoc fallacy?
4) have important multiple causes or multiple effects been overlooked?
5) is there a likely alternative cause?
what is common cause fallacy?
assuming that one thing causes another when in fact a third factor really is the cause of both
what is post hoc fallacy?
assuming that, bc one event occured before another, the first is necessarily the cause of the second
what are the 5 tests of inference for testimony?
1) does the statement accurately reflect the source’s views?
2) is the source an expert on the topic?
3) is there a basis for the source’s statements?
4) is the source reasonably unbiased?
5) is the testimony up to date?
what is pontificate?
to offer judgments without providing any basis for them
what are the 4 tests for inference for narrative?
1) is the narrative?
2) is the narrative plausible?
3) are characterizations consistent?
4) does the narrative have resonance?
