Topic 2: Critical Thinking & Reasoning Flashcards
What is an inference?
An inference is a mental process of passing one idea to another. Whereby two ideas must not be arbitrarily linked together, and they relate in a way that one idea act as a ground or reason for the other.
What is an argument?
“An argument is a set of sentences in which some sentences (the premise) severs as reasons for asserting another sentence (the conclusion). An argument can have more than one premise but can only have one conclusion.
An argument can also serve as a way to convince others about something by giving them reasons for believing it.”
What is the premise?
A premise serves as reasons for saying something.
What is a conclusion?
A conclusion is one arguing about.
What is an explanation?
In an explanation, the truth of an assertion is taken for granted, whereby there are reasoning without persuasion or vice versa.
What is the difference between an explanation and an argument?
We can say that an explanation is reasoning backwards, since it gives facts and gives reasons that could account for it (why is something the case) whilst an argument is reasoning forwards whereby it persuade us through the reasoning that should be the case.
What is a description?
It is reporting a fact without giving any reasons to account for it.
What is an opinion?
It is a claim made without any supporting reason. Differs from a description since it doesn’t have justification.
