Terms Flashcards
Section 1
Propositions
Statements that can be True or False
Non-Propositions
Are NOT statements about matters of fact. They do not make a claim that can be True or False.
Simple Propositions
Have no internal structure, meaning whether they are True or False does not depend on whether a part of them is True or False on their own.
Complex Propositions
Have internal logical structure, composed of simple propositions. Whether complex propositions are True or False depends on whether their parts are True or False, and how those parts are connected
Premise
A premise is a proposition lending support to the conclusion. Premises are supposed to be statements that, if you accept they are true, give you reason to believe that the conclusion is also true.
Logical Relationship
If you think the premises are True, and the argument is well formed, you should also think that the Conclusion is True
Argument
An argument is a set of statements, some of which (the premises) attempt to provide a reason for thinking that some other statement (the conclusion) is True
Inference or Argument
Is any purportedly rational movement from Premises to a Conclusion.
“I believe x, because y, z, and w” OR
“Because a, b and c, we have to believe that d”
Deductive Arguments
If the premises are True and the argumentive structure is good, then the conclusion must be True.
(Includes mathematical arguments, like proof, logical arguments, arguments from definition, and so forth)
Inductive Arguments
If the argumentative structure is great, the Truth of the premises only makes the conclusion probably true at best.
(Includes arguments from analogy, qualified authority, casual inferences, scientific hypothetical reasoning, extrapolations from samples, and so on.)
Inference to the best explanation/abduction
Arguments where the best available explanation is chosen as the correct explanation.
Truth
Truth is a property of propositions. Only propositions can be true/false.
Deductive Argumentative
Deductive Argumentative structures are either valid/invalid.
Inductive Argumentative
An Invalid argument structure is one where the truth of the premises is meant to guarantee the truth of the conclusion, but fails to do so.
Valid Argument
A Valid Argument structure is where the truth of the premises would guarantee the truth of the conclusion. “if” the premises are true, the conclusion follows necessarily.
*It is impossible for the premises of a valid argument to be true and the conclusion False.
Soundness
Soundness is about both structure and truth.
Must have good structure and true premises to make a sound argument.
*A Deductive argument is sound if it has a valid structure and all its premises are true.
Deductive Reasoning
Validity only concerns the structure of an argument, but soundness requires both validity and true premises.
Cogent “Sound”
Cogent means all true premises, and the premises give strong inductive support for the conclusion
Formal
Structure of Things
Formal Fallacy
An Argument that has a flawed structure. Identified by analyzing the structure of an argument/ignoring its content.