Chapers 4-8 Flashcards
When are premises relevant?
when they provide some sort of support for the conclusion
- this is the second criterion for sound arguments
Define a fallacy
an error or weakness in an argument that detracts from its soundness, but is disguised so that It may look like the conclusion is supported
what is the fallacies approach?
an approach to the theory of argument assessment that proceeds mainly by atttempting to describe the main types of fallacious argument - the common mistakes one must guard against.
What is the Criterial approach?
an approach to the theory of argument assessment that proceeds mainly by examination of the standards that a good argument must meet
When are premises ADEQUATE?
when the support they give is strong enough for the purposes of the argument. this is the third criterion for a sound argument
when are premises ACCEPTABLE?
when they can reasonably be treated as true. thisis the first criterion for sound arguments
what are the three criterion for sound arguments?
1) acceptabliltiy
2) relevance
3) adequacy
What is a verified truth claim?
a truth claim that has been shown to be true
Define: verification
the process of determining whether a truth-claim is true
what are universal empirical statements?
an unrestricted general statement abut a class of things as the truth-value of which depends on experience; it asserts something is about an entire class..
e.g., all ravens are black
Undetrmined truth-claim
A truth-claim that has been neither shown to be true nor shown to be false
what is strict proof?
the most stringent standard of acceptability that can be made for a claim because the possibility of error has been eliminated (either in its use of empirical evidence or its support in a theorem)
What is a statistical empirical statement?
A qualified general statement the truth value of which depends on experience; it asserts something about a proportion of a class of things
what is the pragmatic theory of truth?
A theory that holds that the truth of a statement consists of the fact that it leads to the successful solution of a real problem
what is inconsistency?
the fallacy committed by an argument when it contains, implicitily or explicitly, a contraction usually between two premises.
What is a general empirical statement?
a statement the truth-value of which depends on experience and concerns a wide range of particulars within the same class.
What are foundational principles?
statements that underlie a practice or a body of knowledge, such as the law of causality in science, which cannot be doubted without undermining everything else associated with that practice or body of knowledge. `
What is a falsified truth claim?
a truth claim that has been shown to be false
What is a false dichotomy?
the fallacy committed by an argument when a premise presents us with a choice between two alternatives and assumes that they are exhaustive or exclusive or both, when in fact they are not.
What are exhaustive alternatives?
alternatives that cover all possibilities
what are exclusive alternatives?
Alternatives that cannot both (or all) be true: when one is true the others must be false.
What is equivocation?
the fallacy committed by an argument when a premise has two interpretation, one acceptable and one unacceptable, and when it is the unacceptable interpretation that is required by the conclusion
What is an empirical statement?
A statement that asserts an empirical fact or set of empirical facts
what is an empirical fact?
a fact that is observable in principle - that is, if one were in the right place at the right time, under the right conditions.
What is the correspondence theory of truth?
a theory that holds the truth of a statement is correspondent to a fact
- does well with empirical statements
what is coherence theory of truth
a theory that holds that a particular statement is true when it is part of a coherent set mutually supporting statements
What is begs the question
the fallacy committed by an argument when its premises presuppose, directly or indirectly, the truth of its conclusion.
What is Tu Quoque
A fallacious argument which attempts to show that a criticism directed at the speaker is irrelevant by claiming that the accuser is open to the same criticism. Latin for “you too”
What is straw man?
a fallacious argument that irrelevantly attacks a position that appears similar to, but is actually different from, an opponents position, and concluded that the opponents real position has thereby been refuted.
What is Non sequitur (I don’t think we need to know this)
an argument with irrelevant premises
What is appeal to popularity
a fallacious argument that substitutes an irrelevant attempt to base a claim’s acceptability on the fact that it is widely believed
what is appeal to pity?
a fallacious argument which substitutes an irrelevant attempt to elicit pity or sympathy for the presentation of genuine evidence for the conclusion
what is appeal to force?
a fallacious argument which substitutes an irrelevant threat of force or other kind of pressure for genuine evidence of the conclusion
what is appeal to authority?
a fallacious argument which cites the irrelevant testimony of someone who is not a reliable authority on the matter at issue
what is ad hominem?
a fallacious argument that substitutes irrelevant information discrediting the author of a statement for genuine evidence that the statement Is false
What is slippery slope?
a fallacious argument which attempts to justify a negative assessment of a policy by appealing to a chain of consequences, each one causing the next, ending with an undesirable result. this is fallacious when it is not likely that the policy will really result in this outcome.
what is appeal to ignorance?
a fallacious argument which appeals to the fact that there is no evidence fo the claim, to show that it is false.
