Critical thinking final part 1

Diagramming​ ​an​ ​argument: 1. Determine​ ​what​ ​the​ ​statements​ ​(assertions​ ​that​ ​something​ ​is/isn’t​ ​the​ ​case)​ ​are;​ ​note

complex​ ​statements​ ​made​ ​of​ ​two​ ​smaller​ ​statements;​ ​cross​ ​out​ ​everything​ ​else. 2. Determine​ ​which​ ​of​ ​the​ ​statements​ ​are​ ​premises;​ ​underline​ ​these. 3. Determine​ ​which​ ​of​ ​the​ ​statements​ ​are​ ​conclusions;​ ​circle​ ​these.

Premise/Conclusion​ ​indicator​ ​words​ ​can​ ​help​ ​you​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​which​ ​statements​ ​are​ ​premises​ ​and which​ ​is​ ​a​ ​conclusion:

Premises:​ ​because,​ ​in​ ​view​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fact,​ ​given​ ​that,​ ​seeing​ ​that,​ ​as,​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that, being​ ​that,​ ​since,​ ​assuming​ ​that,​ ​for​ ​the​ ​reason​ ​that,​ ​inasmuch​ ​as,​ ​as​ ​indicated​ ​by,​ ​for,​ ​the reason​ ​being Conclusion:​ ​therefore,​ ​thus,​ ​which​ ​implies​ ​that,​ ​consequently,​ ​it​ ​follows​ ​that,​ ​we​ ​can conclude​ ​that,​ ​so,​ ​hence,​ ​it​ ​must​ ​be​ ​that,​ ​as​ ​a​ ​result,​ ​which​ ​means​ ​that,​ ​ergo

When​ ​two​ ​statements​ ​are​ ​joined​ ​together​ ​in​ ​one​ ​statement,​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​track​ ​of​ ​the situation.​ ​The​ ​complex​ ​statement​ ​is​ ​true/false​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​values​ ​of​ ​the​ ​component statements.

-“I​ ​​both​ ​​like​ ​peanut​ ​butter​ ​​and​ ​​I​ ​like​ ​jelly,”​ ​claims​ ​that​ ​both​ ​component​ ​statements​ ​must be​ ​true​ ​in​ ​order​ ​for​ ​the​ ​complex​ ​statement​ ​to​ ​be​ ​true.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​called​ ​a​ ​​conjunctive statement. -“I​ ​​either​ ​​like​ ​peanut​ ​butter​ ​​or​ ​​I​ ​like​ ​jelly,”​ ​claims​ ​that​ ​only​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​two​ ​component statements​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​be​ ​true​ ​in​ ​order​ ​for​ ​the​ ​complex​ ​statement​ ​to​ ​be​ ​true.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​called​ ​a disjunctive​​ ​statement. -“It​ ​is​ ​​not​ ​​the​ ​case​ ​that​ ​I​ ​like​ ​peanut​ ​butter,”​ ​is​ ​a​ ​​negation​,​ ​which​ ​inverts​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​value. -“​If​​ ​I​ ​like​ ​peanut​ ​butter​ ​​then​ ​​I​ ​like​ ​jelly,”​ ​claims​ ​that​ ​if​ ​the​ ​initial​ ​condition​ ​(antecedent) is​ ​met,​ ​then​ ​the​ ​result​ ​(consequent)​ ​will​ ​follow.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​called​ ​a​ ​​hypothetical​ ​​statement.

Implicit​ ​premises​ ​are​ ​premises​ ​that​ ​an​ ​argument​ ​requires​ ​in​ ​order​ ​for​ ​a​ ​conclusion​ ​to​ ​be supported,​ ​while​ ​those​ ​premises​ ​aren’t​ ​actually​ ​in​ ​the​ ​argument.​ ​This​ ​happens​ ​because​ ​(1)​ ​they are​ ​considered​ ​safe​ ​assumptions​ ​or​ ​(2)​ ​they​ ​are​ ​intentionally​ ​hidden​ ​or​ ​mistakenly​ ​left​ ​out. An​ ​argument​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​two​ ​conditions​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​good​ ​argument,​ ​defined​ ​as​ ​an acceptable,​ ​appropriate​ ​argument:​ ​(1)​ ​true​ ​premises​ ​and​ ​(2)​ ​proper​ ​form.

-An​ ​​inductive​ ​​argument​ ​has​ ​the​ ​following​ ​form:​ ​​If​ ​the​ ​premises​ ​are​ ​true​ ​then​ ​the conclusion​ ​is​ ​​probably​​ ​true​. -A​ ​​deductive​​ ​argument​ ​has​ ​the​ ​following​ ​form:​ ​​If​ ​the​ ​premises​ ​are​ ​true​ ​then​ ​the conclusion​ ​is​ ​​necessarily​​ ​true.

Prof.​ ​Eckel,​ ​U.​ ​Toledo,​ ​FA17