Chapter 6

Question 1

Fine-tuning a reconstruction

Answer 1

• Clarify the wording of the argument, and if possible, make the argument conform to one of the standard patterns of argument.
• Add justifications for each line in the argument. For each line state whether it’s an explicit premise, or a implicit premise, or which previous lines of argument it follows from.

Question 2

3 problems that arise in reconstruction

Answer 2

1. ) improperly worded reconstruction.
2. ) reconstructions with missing premises.
3. ) reconstruction with unnecessary premises included.

Question 3

Improper Wording

Answer 3

Arguments that depend on the assumption that two different terms are the same in meaning are not valid. Those arguments need a linking premise to connect the two terms.

Question 4

Missing Premises

Answer 4

Leaving out a premise can lead to serious misevaluations of arguments, you will fail to evaluate the premise you omitted.

Question 5

Stating a justification

Answer 5

State which previous line a premise allegedly follows from.

Question 6

Intermediate conclusion

Answer 6

Follows from some previous steps and is used to justify subsequent steps.

Question 7

Compound argument

Answer 7

Consists in several sub-arguments.

Question 8

Unnecessary premise

Answer 8

A premise that is not needed to justify the conclusion.

Question 9

Direct justification

Answer 9

A premise appears in the list of steps justifying the conclusion.

Question 10

Indirect justification

Answer 10

A premise justifies some other premise that itself either directly or indirectly justifies the conclusion.