Ch.7: Inductive arg. Flashcards
Inductive arguments:
- : Claim that their conclusion PROBABLY follows from the premises.
- stronger or weaker rather than true or false.
Types of Inductive arguments:
- Generalizations
- Analogies
- Causals
Deductive arguments
- Claim that their conclusion NECESSARILY follows from the premises
- Ex:No dogs are cats. Lucky is a dog. Therefore, Lucky is not a cat.
Inductive logic
- Inductive logic=based on probability rather than necessity
- always the possibility of error, EVEN IF all the premises are true.
Inductive Arguments based on GENERALIZATIONS
-Drawing a conclusion about a certain characteristic of a population based on a sample from it.
GENERALIZATION Ex
I get nauseous after eating ice cream.
I get nauseous after eating yogurt.
I get nauseous after drinking milk.
I am most likely lactose intolerant.
Self-Selected Sample
A sample in which only volunteers participate.
Sampling Biases
- Slanted Questions
- Push Polls
- Loaded Questions
Push Polls
Starting out with the pollster’s views before asking for a response.
Evaluating Inductive Arguments using generalization
- premises true?
- sample large enough?
- sample representative?
- conclusion supported by the premises?
Arguments based onANALOGIES
Premise: X (which is familare) has characteristics a, b, and c.
Premise: Y (not as familar) has charactersistcs a and b.
Conclusion: Therefore, Y probably also has characteristic C.
Analogy:
-literal
A comparison between two or more similar events.
-Ex: Interracial marriage is a civil right and is legal. Same-sex marriage should also be a civil right; therefore, should be legal
Metaphor:
-figurative
A descriptive type of analogy, frequently found in literature.
-Ex:Employees of a business are like parts of a car. Each part needs to be working proficiently in order for the car to run smoothly.
Evaluating Inductive Arguments based on Analogies
- What is being compared?
- similarities?
- dissimilarities?
- Comparisons?
- Counteranalogies?
- analogy support the conclusion
Causal argument:
: An argument that claims something is, or is not, the cause of something else.