Reasoning

Question 1

Definition of reasoning

Answer 1

Thinking process invoved in the generation and/or evaluation of inferences (known also as arguments)

Question 2

Definition of inference

Answer 2

Finite n of statements, the last of which (conclusion) is related to the premesis (assumed to be true)

Question 3

Inferential indicators

Answer 3

Specific words or expressions that indicate the presence of an argument

Question 4

Premise indicators

Answer 4

Since- For- Because- given that- for the reason that

Question 5

Conclusion indicators

Answer 5

Therefore-Thus-Then-Hence-So-For this reason

Question 6

What are premises and conclusions?

Answer 6

They are propositions/statements i.e. declarative sentences affirmative of certain facts

Question 7

What is a declarative sentence?

Answer 7

Minimal unit of language that can be associated a truth value

Question 8

Non-contradition principle

Answer 8

Premises and conclusions are either true or false and cannot be both

Question 9

Principle of excluded middle

Answer 9

Any proposition is either true or its negation is, there is no other possibility

Question 10

Deductive arguments

Answer 10

• The truth of the premises guarantees the truth of the conclusion
• Make explicit concluions which are already implicit in the premises –> the conclusion doesn’t add new info (TRIVIALITY)

Question 11

Inductive arguments

Answer 11

• The truth of the premises does not guarantee the truth of the conclusion
• The premises may affect the credibility of the conclusion but do not necessarily imply it

Question 12

Forms of inductive arguments

Answer 12

• DESCRIPTIVE: They identify regularities and are mainly used to generalize data
• EXPLANATORY: They represent real explanations (not necessarily scientific)

Question 13

Validity of inductive arguments

Answer 13

Inductive arguments are not valid can be MORE OR LESS STRONG

Question 14

Argument validity

Answer 14

Aguments can be:

• Deductively valid
• deductively invalid

Question 15

Soundness

Answer 15

An argument is sound if and only if it is valid and all its premises are true. Sound arguments have true conclusions

Question 16

Tautology

Answer 16

compound statement that is always true, regardless of the truth values assigned to its component atomic statements

Question 17

Contradiction

Answer 17

Compound statement that is always false, regardless of the truth values assigned to its component atomic statements

Question 18

Strength of a statement

Answer 18

Determined by what the statements say i.e., the more it says the stronger it is
→ It is inversely related to its a priori probability
→ contradictions are the strongest stamentents while tautologies are the weakest

Question 19

Conditional Syllogisms

Answer 19

Are arguments in which one premise (major premise) is a conditional statement (P–>Q), while the other (minor premise) is one of the two atomic propositions that appear in the conditional statement, either in the affirmative or negative form

Question 20

How many combinations of the premises there are?

Answer 20

4

Question 21

Denying the antecedent fallacy/Fallacy of the inverse

Answer 21

P→ Q
¬P
———-
¬Q INVALID

Question 22

AFFIRMING THE CONSEQUENT FALLACY/FALLACY OF THE CONVERSE)

Answer 22

P → Q
Q
——–
P INVALID

Question 23

MODUS PONENS

Answer 23

P → Q
P
——-
Q VALID

Question 24

MODUS TOLLENS

Answer 24

P → Q
¬Q
——–
¬P VALID

Question 25

Abductions

Answer 25

sub category of inductive arguments.

Symptoms and conclusions