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Flashcards in Argument Basics Deck (13)
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1
Q

Proposition

A
  • an expressed thought or idea that is ‘truth-conditional’

- unlike questions or directives=> can claim whether prop is true/ false

2
Q

Statement

A
  • a proposition that is asserted & expressed through declarative sentence
  • always made or advanced by a speaker who commits herself to the truth of that statement

• statement = proposition + assertion

3
Q

Argument

A
  • a group of two or more statements, one of which - the conclusion - is advanced by the speaker or writer on the strength of the others, which are known as premises
4
Q

Premise

A
  • statements given as reasons for believing the conclusion

a) assumed or taken for granted in an argument
b) intended as support for another statement

5
Q

Conclusion

A
  • the statement that is advanced or defended in the argument and that the premises are intended to support

a) not taken for granted in an argument
b) what the author wants to convince the reader of
c) intended to be supported by another statement

6
Q

Compound argument

A

Arguments including ‘intermediate conclusions’

7
Q

Intermediate conclusion

A
  • Supported by premises, and is a conclusion, but is also a premise in the overall argument
  • most extended pieces of reasoning involve compound arguments
8
Q

Conditional statement

A
  • links two or more propositions

- links propositions through “if…then” operator

9
Q

Explanations

A

Consist of two sorts of prepositions

  • explanandum
  • explanans
  • both explanandum and explanans are assumed rather than argued for
  • not intended to support the truth of its constituent propositions but to establish an explanatory, generally causal, relation between those propositions
10
Q

Explanandum

A

A proposition describing the event or state of affairs being explained

11
Q

Explanans

A

One or more propositions describing the causal or other factors thought to explain it

12
Q

The principle of charity

A
  1. Arguments not entirely clear or unambiguous
  2. ‘Principle of charity’ should be used (especially when you disagree with the conclusion)
  3. You should interpret the argument as being as good as it can be whilst still being consistent with the author’s formulation of an argument
13
Q

Standard form

A

• helps clarify the logical structure of the argument
• argument expressed in standard form by:
1) numbering the argument’s premise
2) drawing a horizontal line and placing the conclusion of the argument after the premises
3) placing a ‘therefore sign’ before the conclusion