TOPIC 2 Flashcards
Critical thinking
ability to analyze and break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution
starts with logic…
unnatural act of knowing which facts you’re putting together to reach your conclusions
Critical thinking and Argumentation
- critical thinking is a strong skill for argumentation
- to arrive at a conclusion, critical thinking requires the capacity to assess the situation, scrutinize the evidence and consider multiple point of views
Argumentation
- communication process in which someone tries to convince another to accept their opinion by presenting reasons and evidence
- the art of convincing and persuading a person to adopt a specific behaviour
What does argumentation happen through?
Reason (showing facts, proving) - convincing
Emotion (non-verbal communication) - persuading
Argument
set of statements arranged in such a way that the conclusion is demonstrated by the premises of the argument
A group of claims is arranged as an argument when:
1- one of the claims (the “conclusion”) is treated as controversial (a claim to be defended)
2- one of the other claim(s) (the “premises”) are put forth as claims meant to support the conclusion
Form of an argument (common conditional)
- If P then Q (conditional sentence)
- P (affirms the antecedent of premise 1)
THEREFORE - Q (is the consequent of premise 1)
When is an argument valid
- When all the premises are true
- When the conclusion (consequent) follows from the premises (antecedent)
Syllogism
- model of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two premises
Types of syllogisms
Conditional: syllogism that neither affirms nor denies the premises
Disjunctive: syllogism formed by a premise that presents itself as an alternative
Dilemma: argumentative syllogism where two possible hypotheses are presented, none of which are desirable
Conditional syllogism
Modus Ponens:
- If p then q, P, therefore Q
Modus Tollens:
- If p then q, not q, therefore not p
Disjunctive syllogism
Modus Ponendo Tollens:
- Either p or q, P, therefore not Q
Modus Tollendo Ponens:
- Either p or q, not p, therefore q
Dilemma
- problematic situation composed of two options that are contradictory to each other
- none of the options is satisfactory
- Or p, or q, if p, then r, if q, then r, in one way or another, r
Fallacies
an argument is fallacious when the reasons given, appear to support the conclusion but, in reality, do not
Affirming the consequent
If P then q, q, therefore P
Denying the antecedent
If p, then q, not p, therefore not q
Equivocation
the same word used with two different meanings (the word inhuman)
Distorcion of facts
argument is falsified, presented in a partial way, or based on ad hoc evidence
Straw man
author attacks an argument that is different from, usually weaker than, the opposition’s best argument
Irrelevant conclusion
an argument that falsely proves one thing, and instead, proves a different conclusion (you must accept the new lease policy, we cannot continue to see people living on the street)
False analogy
assumption that if two things are alike in one regard, they must be alike in other ways
hasty generalization
The size of the sample is too small to support the conclusion
Begging the question
an argument’s premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it