Based on the reading there are five factors we should consider when evaluating an
argument. They are as follows; clarity, credibility, relevance, completeness, and
soundness. I believe clarity and soundness are two main hurdles for a good
argument. First it should be understood and without question it should be clear what
the position is. If the argument is sound – the premise props up the conclusion in
such a way that they are symbiotic.
Deductive arguments are meant to be absolute and factual. When inductive
arguments are used they by their very nature are not as certain and hedging on
probability. You see inductive arguments more often when the speaker is not as
familiar with the topic or subject, and draws connections between topics they are
more familiar with. If dogs hate cats, and my pet is a dog, my dog will probably hate
your cat. However we all know that is not the case all of the time.
·(((((((The ability to visualize arguments by being able to diagram them was
something that stood out to me. Visualizing and deconstructing in a visual manner in
such a way that premises(s) lead to conclusions, multiple independent (or
dependent) premises can be highlighted – further increases my chances of
understanding. The variables can be replaced by actual parts of an argument to see
how the either have soundness or not.
