Test 1 Flashcards
_______ are the ______ of arguments
Propositions are the elements of arguments
Arguments have….
propositions as elements and structures
Why is having good reasons for your beliefs important?
- Truth: more likely to be true
- Survival: promote survival better
- Stability: greater psychological stability
- Responsibility: shows the characteristics of a person with good morality
How do arguments relate to reasons of belief?
An argument may be understood as an expression of a reason for belief
A good argument expresses a…
good reason for belief
A bad argument expresses a…
bad reason for belief
What does an argument consist of?
a conclusion and premises
Propositions in an argument are called ______. What does it express?
Premises of an argument
Propositions
1. expresses the main thing you are being asked to believe
2. expresses the reason being given for believing it
and
What can be true or false?
a proposition
Atomic Proposition is…
a proposition that includes no other proposition as a constituent (element)
What is the following an example of?
“The sun is shining.” “My shirt is black.”
An atomic proposition
Molecular proposition is…
A proposition that includes at least one other proposition as a constituent (element)
What is the following an example of?
“The sun is shining, and my shirt is black.”
Molecular proposition
What are the four types of molecular propositions?
- Conjunctive
- Disjunctive
- Conditional
- Negative
Conjunctive proposition…
p and q
Disjunctive proposition…
p or q
Conditional proposition…
p, q
Negative proposition…
not p
What is the following an example of?
“The sun is shining and my shirt is black.”
Conjunctive proposition
What is the following an example of?
“Harry loves Jim or Chris does.”
Disjunctive proposition
What is the following an example of?
“If Xian is going to the movies, I am too.”
Conditional Proposition
What is the following an example of?
“Elizabeth II is not the US’s head of state.”
Negative proposition
In a conditional proposition, what are the p and q called?
p = antecedent q = consequent
What is a logical operator?
A word in a molecular proposition that indicates the way in which the truth value of the proposition depends on the truth value of the constituent proposition.
What are the 4 logical operators?
- Conjunction: “and”
- Disjunction: “or”
- Implication: “if”
- Negation: “not”
p and q
true … true
true
p and q
true … false
false
p and q
false … true
False
p and q
false … false
false
p or q
true … true
true
p or q
true … false
true
p or q
false … true
true
p or q
false … false
false
if p q
… true true
true
if p q
… true false
false
if p q
… false true
true
if p q
… false false
true
not p
… false
true
not p
… true
false
The antecedent of a true conditional proposition is a ______ for its consequent
sufficient condition
The consequent of a true conditional proposition is a _____ for it antecedent
necessary condition
Where is the sufficient condition?
“If today is Monday, Dave will be having pasta.”
“If today is Monday”
Where is the necessary condition?
“If you passed the course, you wrote the final test.”
“you wrote the final test”
What are the other 4 ways a conditional proposition can be expressed?
- q if p
- p only if q
- unless q, not p
- in order for p, q
What is a categorical proposition?
Can be translated into conditional propositions and asserts something about all members of a given category
3 examples of categorical propositions…
- All A’s are B’s = If something is A, it is B
- Every A is a B = If something is A, it is B
- No A’s are B’s = If something is A, it is not a B
What are argument indicators?
words or phrases that typically signal the presence of premises or conclusions
Argument indicators for premises
since, for, because, given that, after all
Argument indicators for conclusions
So, therefore, thus, hence, it follows that, implies, entails
What is the structure of an argument?
it is the way in which the argument’s premises are intended to support its conclusion
