Chapter One Flashcards
Argument
A set of statements, one of which is the conclusion, and the others are premises.
Arguments can have numerous premises, even only one.
TRUE
Arguments must…
express statements.
Statement
Something that can be true or false ; something that can be expressed using a declarative sentence.
Premises
Reasons for the conclusion to be true
Conculsion
The thing argued for
Arguments rely on the authority of…
the reasoning provided.
Exposition relies on the…
authority of the writer or speaker.
Deductively Valid Argument:
If all its premises are true, then its conclusion must be true.
The truth of the premises of a valid argument guarantees…
the truth of its conclusion.
An argument is valid if…
it is impossible for all its premises to be true and yet its conclusion be false.
An invalid argument is…
one where the premises could be true and the conclusion is false.
Inductive strength vs. Deductive Validity
True premises in a valid argument GUARANTEE the truth of the conclusion; true premises in a strong inductive argument make the conclusion only likely or probable.
Deductive arguments are either…
valid or invalid.
Inductive logic is more complex because…
some arguments can be more inductively stronger than others.
The form of the argument can tell us…
if it is valid or not.
Logic is concerned primarily with…
argument forms, and only secondarily with arguments.
The principle task of deductive logic is to…
provide a method for distinguishing valid argument forms with invalid argument forms.
A valid argument with true premises…
can not have a false conclusion.
If all you know about an argument is that it is valid, that tells nothing about…
the truth of the premises or conclusion.
An argument should not be called true or false.
TRUE
Truth and falsity are properties of…
statements.
Unsound arguments
valid, but has more than one false premises.
Sound Arguments
valid; and have all true premises
Set of statements are inconsisent if…
there is a contradiction among the members of the set. (He is dead, he is alive)
Explicit Contradiction
“Lincoln was assassinated.” “Lincoln was not assassinated.”
