Title: This chapter may have confused you;
1(No Transcript)
2Chapter 1.1
- This chapter may have confused you
- Rather, it was intended to
- set forth the concepts of argument, validity
and soundness, etc. - give you an intuitive understanding of those
concepts - persuade you that there must be more systematic
ways of testing an argument, especially for
validity and - encourage you, therefore, to anticipate and
appreciate the systematic skills yet to be
learned.
3Central concepts
- Central concepts
- Argument v. non-argument
- Deduction v. Induction
- Validity Soundness v. Strength Cogency
4Argument
- Notion of argument basic to logic
- Arguments defined
- A group of statements (declarative statements)
such that one, a claim (conclusion), is supported
by others, reasons (premises). - Conclusion can come anywhere what is the
authors point? - Declarative statements rhetorical questions
(which can masquerade as declarative statements) - Implicit statements (as opposed to explicit)
5Analyzing an Argument
- Illatives (L. ppl. inferre illatus to infer,
inference) - Conclusion thus, then, so, therefore, as a
result, such that, means that, it can be seen,
consequently, hence, we see that, it follows,
ergo, etc. - Premise because, since, when, whenever, if,
assume, for, as, for the reason that, etc. - Intellectual charity--helping author to construct
argument as intended
6Non-arguments
- Confusion
- Explanations--when truth of conclusion is not in
doubt - Conditions--if/then type may be part of an
argument, but are not arguments per se - Analogies--again, may be part of an argument, but
are not arguments themselves. - Once an argument has been identified, is it
deductive or inductive? - Squishiness (multi-logical) requires context,
judgment
7Distinguishing is a squishy (multi-logical)
business Given truth of premises
- Induction
- Possible, but unlikely that conclusion is false
(contingent) - If so, called strong
- Usually moves logically from specific cases to
generalization re those cases - May include weasel words
- All appeals to authority, uses of surveys,
studies, analogies types of chicken logic - Never valid or invalid
- All intended to be strong
- Deduction
- Impossible that conclusion is false (certain)
- If so, called valid
- Usually moves logically from a general case to
more specific case (hence deduction) - May include language of certainty
- Virtually all arguments of form All x are y
- Never strong or weak
- All intended to be valid
8Deductive arguments are intended to be sound to
succeed but they may not be successful.
9Deductive arguments may fail be unsound for one
or both of two reasons
- The arguments themselves are invalid.
- I.e., the truth of the premises does not
necessarily yield the truth of the conclusion
or, alternatively, even if the premises were
true, the conclusion would not follow from
them. - The premises themselves are false.
10An argument is
- Valid if the truth of the premises guarantees
the truth of the conclusion (I.e., if the
conclusion necessarily follows from the
premises--theres no avoiding it!)
- Invalid if the premises, whether true or false,
cannot guarantee the truth of the conclusion
(I.e., the conclusion doesnt necessarily
follow--there are other ways to explain the
outcome).
11Caveats
- To say an argument is valid, however, doesnt
mean that it is sound or that its conclusion
actually is true - Example All dogs are blue animals. All blue
animals fly. So, all dogs fly. - The argument above is valid (if the premises were
actually true, its conclusion must necessarily
follow), but the conclusion is false and the
argument is unsound because one or more of the
premises is false.
12Caveats, contd.
- An argument can have true premises and a true
conclusion and still be unsound if it reasons
invalidly - Example All dogs are mammals. All terriers are
mammals. So, all terriers are dogs. - All the propositions in the argument above are
true, but the truth of the conclusion is only
coincidental, and does not necessarily follow
from the premises, because the reasoning is
invalid (the form of the argument commits a
reasoning error called undistributed
middle--which well learn about later--but can
be demonstrated intuitively by substituting
cats for terriers and yielding the
conclusion, All cats are dogs, clearly a false
conclusion).
13Argument soundness
- Sound arguments
- reason validly from
- actually true premises to an
- actually true conclusion.
- Unsound arguments
- reason invalidly from premises
- whether true or false, or
- validly from
- untrue premises to conclusion.
14In either case, soundness--or the lack
thereof--depends on
- The validity (structure) of the reasoning,
- Which is relatively easy to test, but may be
tricky to grasp master, and/or - The truth (reliability) of the premises
- Which may be difficult to test and master in an
infinite universe of propositions.
15Arguments v. propositions
- Arguments are
- Valid or invalid and
- Sound or unsound but
- Never true or false.
- Propositions are
- True or false but
- Never valid/invalid or sound/unsound
16The study of logic, furthermore
- is concerned with validity
- the form of arguments
- as opposed to soundness
- which involves the truth of propositions as
well as validity
17Language of Logic
- To help us grasp more easily the concept of
validity (the structure of an argument), as
opposed to soundness (the truth of the individual
propositions), and to be able to study validity
better in isolation, logicians frequently cast
arguments using - Nonsense words
- All mimsies are borogroves . . .
- Or symbols
- All m are b . . . .
- As you can see, in the cases above we arent
inclined to think about the truth of the
propositions, but rather only the structure of
the argument.
18Chapter 1.2 Argument forms
- Commercial break
- Some deductive arguments take very familiar
forms. - Modus Ponens, aka Affirming the Antecedent
- Modus Tollens, aka Denying the Antecedent
- Hypothetical Syllogism
- Disjunctive Syllogism
- Constructive Dilemma
19Forms method
- If we can reduce an argument to one of the forms,
its validity is very easy to establish. - Simplify
- Substitute
- Compare
20Demonstrations
- Modus Ponens
- aka Affirming Antecedent
- Modus Tollens
- aka Denying Consequent
- Fallacy of Denying Antecedent
- Fallacy of Affirming Consequent
21Chapters 1.3 1.4 Preview
- Chapter 1.3
- Informal refutation v. proof
- Two common fallacious forms
- Counterexample method
- Categorical statements
- Section 1.4
- Induction (v. deduction)
- Strength cogency
22Chapter 1.3 Testing Deductive Arguments
- What are two informal ways of testing deductive
arguments? - Informal refutation
- Informal proof
23Chapter 1.3 Refutation Proof
- What is refutation?
- A demonstration that, even if premises are true,
conclusion is false - Under what conditions will this be successful?
- Only if argument is invalid
- What is proof?
- A demonstration of a sequence of individual,
logically valid maneuvers from given premises to
conclusion - Under what conditions will this be successful?
- Only if argument is valid
24Chapter 1.3 Proof
- If an argument cannot be refuted, it may be valid
and require proof. - If an argument can be proved, then it is valid
and cannot be refuted (although it may still be
unsound). - Proof requires a demonstration that, beginning
with true premises, a true conclusion necessarily
follows through a valid sequence of individual
maneuvers.
25Chapter 1.3 Two Common Fallacious Forms
- What five common valid argument forms did we
acquire in Chapter 1.2? - What two common fallacious forms did we learn
about in Chapter 1.3? - How do we know that they are invalid?
26Chapter 1.3 The Method of Refutation by
Counterexample (Analogous Reasoning)
- What is a counterexample?
- Why is it called a counterexample?
- Literally, an analogous example of the argument
that runs counter to the claim/conclusion - What is the counterexample method? How is
refutation by counterexample done? - Fabricate an analogous scenario in which the
premises are true but conclusion is false (the
definition of invalidity). - Substitute variables for statements or terms.
- Substitute new, logically sensitive statements or
terms for variables, beginning with a clearly
false conclusion. - Substitute new logically sensitive statements or
terms for corresponding variables to yield
clearly true premises.
27Chapter 1.3 Refutation by counterexample
(analogous reasoning)
- How does refutation by counterexample (analogous
reasoning) work? - Because validity/invalidity is strictly a matter
of argument form, if one can demonstrate that an
identical form is invalid (I.e., true premises
yielding false conclusion), then the original
argument is invalid. - In what way is refutation by counterexample not
always reliable? Why do you need to be careful
when refuting by analogous reasoning? - You must craft an argument that is exactly
identical (logically sensitive) in form--any
deviation yields a false analogy that will not
necessarily disprove the original argument.
28Chapter 1.3 Categorical Statements
- What is a statement?
- What is a category?
- What, then, is a categorical statement?
- Can you cite an example of a categorical
statement? - What makes it categorical?
- What is the form of a categorical statement?
- Can you enumerate the exhaustive list of
categorical statement forms? - What is a term?
- How does it differ from a statement?
- We will devote chapters 5 6 to categorical
logic. - Commercial break
- Exercises
29Chapter 1.4Induction (Strength Cogency)
- To this point we have limited discussion to
issues in deductive logic and only introduced the
terms inductive logic (in Chapter 1.1). - How does induction differ from deduction?
- What are the standards for deductive logic?
- What are the standards for inductive logic?
- What three examples of inductive argument types
does our text adduce? - How does the idea of more or less apply to
these types? - Exercises
30Chapters 2.1 2.2 (2.3 EC) Preview
- WARNING This chapter may seem squishy.
- Chapter 2.1Arguments Non-arguments
- Distinguishes arguments from other kinds of
passages, including unsupported assertions, like
reports, illustrations, explanations, and
conditionals. - Chapter 2.2Well-Crafted Arguments
- Explains how to simplify usually complicated
everyday arguments into more assessable
well-crafted arguments using six principles to
charitably ferret out conclusions,
sub-conclusions, explicit and implicit premises,
standard form, unnecessary verbiage, and
uniformity. - Chapter 2.3Argument Diagrams (EC)
- For extra-credit, demonstrates the helpfully
clarifying, but not absolutely essential, step of
diagramming arguments schematically in order to
grasp the relationship of assertions to their
support.
31Strategic observations
- Unlike examples encountered so far in our text,
arguments may be extensive and complicated. - There may be arguments supporting premises and
premises for those arguments. - There may be more than one line of reasoning for
a conclusion. - There may be more than one kind of reasoning.
32Major tactical maneuvers
- Begin by asking yourself, What is the author
trying to say? What is his/her point? This
should yield the conclusion. - Next, ask yourself, What are the main reasons
she/he adduces for believing that? This should
yield the explicit premises (evidences) of the
argument. - Finally, ask, What would one have to believe to
accept what this author has said? This should
yield the implicit premises (assumptions) of the
argument.
33Minor tactical considerations
- In texts written in English, by writers in
Western the tradition, most conclusions appear at
the beginning (deductive approach) or at the end
(inductive approach) or at the end of the
beginning. - Explanations, examples, definitions, and attempts
to preempt objections are almost never
conclusions of an argument or even premises, in
the strict sense. - Ancillary information, as in supporting
documentation, notes, parenthetical asides are
never conclusions and almost never premises, in
the strict sense. - A conclusion will never appear in a subordinate
clause. - Look for illatives.
34Preview of 3.1 - 3.3
- Problem areas
- 3.1
- Proposition
- 3.2
- Subtlety of definitional terms
- 3.3
- Largely unproblematic
35Why care about definitions?
- Define literally means to put limits around
(fr. L. de about finis limit). - So, definition limits meanings.
- Minimizes
- vagueness (meanings shading off into other areas)
- ambiguity (more than one meaning)
- Minimizes complications of It all depends on
what you mean by __________.
36Chapter 3.1
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Proposition
- Cognitive meaning
- Emotive force
- For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - Review problematic exercises
37Chapter 3.2
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Ambiguity versus vagueness
- Extensional definition
- Ostensive
- Enumerative
- Subclassical
- Intensional definition
- Lexical (genus differentia)
- Stipulative
- Precising
- Theoretical
- For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - Review problematic exercises
38Definition by extension
- Pointing (a.k.a. ostensive)
- actually showing one or more cases
- Enumeration
- listing individual examples
- Subclass
- listing types or categories
- Exhaustive v. non-exhaustive?
39Intensional definition
- Stipulative personal, ad hoc, coined or not
- Lexical positive, descriptive, dictionary-type,
though not necessarily exclusively so - Precising minimizes vagueness ambiguity, to
put a fine point on it, to distinguish precise
meaning from popular meaning - Theoretical places a term in a particular
context may give meaning to both term and
context - Persuasive affective, subjective, emotive
40Definition by intension
- Synonym
- Another word (lit. ??? similar ????? name)
- Etymology
- Linguistic genealogy (lit. ?????? true ????s
account) - Test
- Establishes criteria to be met
- Genus difference/differentia
- garden variety definition technique x is a y
that . . . .
41Chapter 3.2, contd.
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Genus versus difference/differentia
- Difiniendum versus difiniens
- Counterexample
- For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - What are the criteria for producing a good
definition? - Not to wide
- Not to narrow
- Not obscure, ambiguous, figurative
- Not circular
- Not negative if it can be positive
- Not use unsuitable criteria to determine
extension - Review problematic exercises
42Ways of defining terms
- definiendum word to be defined
- definiens words doing the defining
- extension set of objects in defined class
- intension properties of objects in class
43Rules
- What is meant by essential characteristics
(necessary sufficient)? - How can the definiens be too broad or narrow?
- What is meant by circularity?
- Cite examples of ambiguity, obscurity, figurative
or emotive language.
44Chapter 3.3
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Equivocation versus merely verbal dispute
- Persuasive definition
- For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - Review problematic exercises
45Preview of Chapter 4Concepts that may present
difficulty
- 4.1 Fallacies of Irrelevance
- English/Latinate names
- 4.2 Fallacies Involving Ambiguity
- Amphiboly is sort of like equivocationbut its
not the same. - Composition and division are similarbut theyre
not the same. - 4.3 Fallacies Involving Unwarranted Assumptions
- Begging the Question is not what it sounds
like.
46Chapter 4.1 Fallacies of Irrelevance
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Fallacy
- Formal
- Informal
- Of irrelevance
- Ad Hominem (Against the Man)
- Personal attack
- Circumstantial
- Tu Quoque
- Straw Man
- Ad Baculum (Appeal to Force)
- Ad Populum (Appeal to the People)
- Ad Misercordiam (Appeal to Pity)
- Ad Ignorantiam (Appeal to Ignorance)
- Ignoratio Elenchi (Red Herring or Missing the
Point) - For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - Review problematic exercises
47Chapter 4.2 Fallacies of Ambiguity
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Fallacy of Ambiguity
- Equivocation
- Amphiboly
- Composition
- Division
- For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - Review problematic exercises
48Chapter 4.3 Fallacies of Unwarranted Assumption
- Which of these concepts/terms were difficult?
- Unwarranted Assumption
- Begging the Question (Petitio Principii)
- False Dilemma
- Appeal to Unreliable Authority (Ad Verecundiam)
- False Cause
- Complex Question
- For the concepts/terms that were confusing, can
someone clarify it for us by defining and giving
at least one example, or the range of examples,
of it? - Why is it important to understand these
concepts/terms? - Review problematic exercises
49Chapter 5 Categorical Logic Statements
- Chapter 5.1
- Terminology is important we will be coming back
to it again and again. - Translation is key grasp the meaning of
stylistic variants and their translation - Chapter 5.2
- Chapter 5.3