assessment

1

ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET FOR CRAIG’S ARGUMENT

Proposition 17 Assess Propositions 17 and 18 by asking yourself how sure you can be that the proposition is true. Mark the right-most section of the scale if you think you know the proposition to be true. Mark the left-most section if you have no grounds for thinking it’s true (and/or if you think you know it’s false). In making your determination be sure to consider any objections made to the Propositions above.

Proposition 18 Inference H

To assess Inference H, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 17 and 18 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 1 is true.

Argument H Your assessment of Argument H should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 17 and 18 and Inference H. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 10 Assess Proposition 10 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18.

Proposition 11

Assess Proposition 11 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18.

Inference E To assess Inference E, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 10 and 11 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 2 is true.

Argument E Your assessment of Argument E should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 10 and 11 and Inference E. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 12

Assess Proposition 12 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18. Assess Proposition 13 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18. Proposition 13

Inference F To assess Inference F, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 12 and 13 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 2 is true.

Argument F Your assessment of Argument F should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 12 and 13 and Inference F. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 14

Assess Proposition 14 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18.

Proposition 15

Assess Proposition 15 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18.

Proposition 16

Assess Proposition 16 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18.

Inference G To assess Inference G, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 14, 15, and 16 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 2 is true.

2

Argument G Your assessment of Argument G should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 14, 15 and 16, and Inference G. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 1

Proposition 1 is supported only by Argument H, so it should be exactly as strong as Argument H.

Proposition 2

Proposition 2 is supported by Arguments E, F, and G, so it should be no weaker than the strongest argument in its favor.

Inference A To assess Inference A, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 1 and 2 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 3 is true.

Argument A Your assessment of Argument A should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 1 and 2 and Inference A. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 3 Proposition 3 is supported only by Argument A, so it should be exactly as strong as Argument A. Assess Proposition 4 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18. Proposition 4

Inference B To assess Inference B, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 3 and 4 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 5 is true.

Argument B Your assessment of Argument B should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 3 and 4 and Inference B. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 5

Proposition 5 is supported only by Argument B, so it should be exactly as strong as Argument B. Assess Proposition 6 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18. Proposition 6

Inference C To assess Inference C, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 5 and Premise 6 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 7 is true.

Argument C Your assessment of Argument C should be based on your assessments of its parts: Propositions 5 and 6 and Inference C. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 7

Proposition 7 is supported only by Argument C, so it should be exactly as strong as Argument C.

Proposition 8

Assess Proposition 8 by the same method used for Propositions 17 and 18.

Inference D To assess Inference D, assume that you knew for certain that Premise 7 and Premise 8 were true, and then consider how strong a reason that would give you to think that Proposition 9 is true.

3

Argument D Your assessment of Argument D should be based on your assessments of its parts Proposition 7 and 8 and Inference D. The argument cannot be stronger than its weakest part, and multiple weaknesses compound.

Proposition 9

Proposition 9 is supported only by Argument D, so it should be exactly as strong as Argument D.