Definitions Flashcards
Unstated Premises
When not all arguements are fully expressed. Sometimes even conclusions are left unexpressed.
Sound Arguement
A valid deductive arguement with only true premises
Conditional Statement
An ‘If…then’ statement. The ‘if’ part is the Antecedent and the ‘then’ part is the consequent. When the antecedent of a true conditonal statement is true, the consequent must also be true.
Inductive Arguement
An agruement where the conclusion goes beyond what is actually implied by a statement or situation. The conclusion can thus only be said to follow with probability or likelihood even if the premises are assumed to be true.
Abductive Arguement (inductive)
Affirming the consequent, the strength of an abductive arguement will thus depend on the likelihood of alternative explanations. (pea plant example) proposed exlanation or hypothesis
Analogy
Inductive agruement - that if two individual things share relevant properties then a further property of one of them will also probably be share by the other.
A has property P, therefore B has property P
Arguement from Authority
An arguement when you use the name or status of an authority figure who has knowledge on the subject to assist with the arguement. Is the Authority qualified, unbaised, agreement among other experts in field.
Inference
A step in reasoning from one or more premises to a conclusion - step of the mind where one concludes that something is so in light of someone elses being so.
Statisical Syllogism
A form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed premises. i.e 95% of students are under 25, pam is a student therefore she is under 25
Clobber Words
Words that bully us into accepting conclusion & premises perhaps when the reasoning is weak or flawed.
Validity
An arguement that is valid (Deductive) if and only if there are no possible curcumstances under which all the premises would be true and the conclusion would be false.
