Chapter 2 - What Are We Arguing About?

Question 1

Vague

Answer 1

There are different ways to understand a sentence

Question 2

Drawing the line fallacy

Answer 2

The idea that if you can’t make the difference precise, then there’s no difference

Question 3

Ambiguity

Answer 3

Occurs when there are two, or very few, obvious ways that a sentence could be understood as a claim

Question 4

Subjective

Answer 4

Whether a claim is true or false depends on a person’ opinion

Question 5

Objective

Answer 5

Whether a claim is true or false is independent from a person’s opinion

Question 6

Fallacy

Answer 6

A bad argument that cannot be repaired due to problems with truth or faulty logic

Question 7

Definition

Answer 7

Explains how a word or phrase is being used in an argument, but is not a claim

Question 8

Subjectivist fallacy

Answer 8

When someone states that a claim is subjective just because there is a lot of disagreement about whether a claim is true or not

Question 9

Descriptive claim

Answer 9

Meant to describe what it is

Question 10

Prescriptive claim

Answer 10

Meant to describe what it should be

Question 11

Persuasive definition

Answer 11

A definition that is not true and tends to be biased for the sake of argument

Question 12

Good definition

Answer 12

Interchangeable with the dictionary definition