Phil 100 A Concise Introduction To Logic, Ch. 1

Front 1

What are the 3 parts to the basic argument diagram?

Back 1

(top to bottom) Premise, down arrow (inferential claim), conclusion

Front 2

"Some arguments, while not completely valid, are almost valid."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 2

Deductive arguments are either valid or invalid, there is no middle ground.

Front 3

"Invalid deductive arguments are basically the same as inductive arguments."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 3

Inductive arguments can never be valid or invalid but rather strong or weak.

Front 4

"A sound argument may be invalid."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 4

A deductive argument can never be sound if it is invalid since being valid is one of the requirements for an argument to be sound.

Front 5

"A sound argument may have a false conclusion."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 5

Any argument that has premises, whether true or false, which are followed by a false conclusion is by definition unsound. A sound argument must have true premises as well as a true conclusion.

Front 6

"A strong argument may have true premises and a probably false conclusion."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 6

For an argument to be strong it must have a conclusion that does follow probably from the premises given that they are true.

Front 7

"A cogent argument may have a probably false conclusion."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 7

An argument that has a probably false conclusion is weak. A weak argument can never be cogent.

Front 8

"If an argument has true premises and a true conclusion, we know that it is a perfectly good argument."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 8

We don't know that it is a perfectly good argument based on the truth value of the premises and the conclusion. The premises and conclusion could be true but if the conclusion does not logically follow the premises, it is not a good argument.

Front 9

"A statement may legitimately be spoken of as 'valid' or 'invalid'."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 9

Statements are declarative sentences which are either true or false. Only deductive arguments can be valid or invalid.

Front 10

"An argument may legitimately be spoken of as 'true' or 'false'."

Explain why this is a false statement.

Back 10

Arguments are not true or false. Only the statements that make the arguments are true or false.

Front 11

Sound argument = ____________ + _____________

Back 11

Valid argument, All true premises

Front 12

Cogent argument = ____________+______________

Back 12

strong argument, all true premises

Front 13

Valid argument

Back 13

a deductive argument in which it is IMPOSSIBLE for the conclusion TO BE FALSE given that the premises are true.

Front 14

Invalid argument

Back 14

an argument in which it is POSSIBLE for the conclusion TO BE FALSE given that the premises are true.

Front 15

Unsound argument is an argument that is...

Back 15

invalid, has one or more false premises, or both.

Front 16

Strong Argument

Back 16

an inductive argument in which it is improbable that the conclusion be false given that the premises are true.

Front 17

Weak Argument

Back 17

an argument in which the conclusion does not follow probably from the premises, even though it is claimed to.

Front 18

An uncogent argument is one that is...

Back 18

weak, has one or more false premises, fails to meet the total evidence requirement, or any combination of these.

Front 19

What is an argument?

Back 19

A group of statements, or passage, that contains an inferential claim

Front 20

forms of non-argument

Back 20

1. Expository passages

2. Illustrations

3. Explanations

4. Conditional Statements

Front 21

Expository passages

Back 21

Always have a topic sentence and is usually the first sentence of the passage

Front 22

Illustration passages

Back 22

"For example", "for instance", are examples of illustrative indicators. Illustration passages use examples to show what something means or how something is done

Front 23

Explanation passages

Back 23

a passage that purports to shed light on some event or phenomenon

Front 24

conditional statement

Back 24

"if, then" statement. A single conditional statement is always a non argument not because it lacks inferential claim but because it lacks a premise (factual claim).

Example: "it is raining, therefore the ground must be wet."

"If" synonyms are "given that" and "provided that"