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SUMMARY Logic and CT - Week 2 DT

This document summarizes key concepts from a Week 2 lecture on recognizing arguments in logic and critical thinking. It defines arguments, statements, premises, and conclusions, and distinguishes between good and bad arguments using examples. Additionally, it discusses the use of indicator words for identifying premises and conclusions, and differentiates arguments from non-argumentative discourse.

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9 views3 pages

SUMMARY Logic and CT - Week 2 DT

This document summarizes key concepts from a Week 2 lecture on recognizing arguments in logic and critical thinking. It defines arguments, statements, premises, and conclusions, and distinguishes between good and bad arguments using examples. Additionally, it discusses the use of indicator words for identifying premises and conclusions, and differentiates arguments from non-argumentative discourse.

Uploaded by

dtmduncan1
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Briefing Document: Recognizing Arguments in Logic and

Critical Thinking
Source: Excerpts from "Logic and CT- Week 2 (1).pdf"
Date: October 26, 2023
Overview: This document summarizes the key concepts presented in the Week 2 lecture notes
on "Recognizing Arguments" from the "Logic and Critical Thinking (2025)" course. The lecture
aims to equip students with the ability to distinguish between sentences, statements, and
arguments, define an argument, identify its components (premises and conclusion), and
differentiate arguments from non-argumentative discourse.
Main Themes and Important Ideas:
1. Defining Argument, Statement, Premise, and Conclusion:

• Argument: An argument is defined as "a group of statements, one or more of which


(the premises) are claimed to provide support for, or reasons to believe, one of the
others (the conclusion)."
• Key takeaway: An argument involves a claim (the conclusion) being supported by
evidence or reasons (the premises).
• Statement: A statement is "a sentence that can be viewed as either true or false."
• Examples provided include: "Red is a colour," "Canada is in South America," and
"Abortion is morally wrong."
• Premises: Premises are "statements in an argument offered as evidence or reasons
why we should accept another statement, the conclusion."
• Conclusion: The conclusion is "the statement in an argument that the premises are
intended to prove or support."

2. Good Arguments vs. Bad Arguments:

• Arguments are categorized into "good argument and bad argument."


• "Good arguments are those in which the premises really do support the conclusion."
• "Bad arguments are those which the premises do not support the conclusion."
• Example of a Good Argument: "All film stars are celebrities. Majid Michel is a film
star. Therefore, Majid Michel is a celebrity." The premises logically lead to and
support the conclusion.
• Example of a Bad Argument: "Some film stars are men. Jackie Appiah is a film star.
Therefore, Jackie Appiah is a man." The premises do not guarantee the truth of the
conclusion.

3. Identifying Premises and Conclusions using Indicator Words:

• "In identifying premises and conclusions, we are often helped by indicator words."
• Premise Indicators: These words or phrases signal that premises are being
introduced. Examples include: "Since," "Because," "Given that," "For," "As indicated
by."
• Example: "Expectant mothers should never use recreational drugs, since the use of
these drugs can jeopardize the development of the fetus."
• Conclusion Indicators: These words or phrases signal that a conclusion is being
stated. Examples include: "Therefore," "Accordingly," "Hence," "Thus,"
"Consequently," "So."
• Example: "Tortured prisoners will say anything just to relieve the pain.
Consequently, torture is not a reliable method of interrogation."

4. Inference and Inferential Claim:

• Inference: In a narrow sense, inference is "the reasoning process expressed by an


argument."
• Inferential Claim: This is "simply the claim that the passage expresses a certain
kind of reasoning process—that something supports or implies something or that
something follows from something."
• The inferential claim is an objective feature based on the argument's language or
structure, not the arguer's subjective intentions.
• Explicit Inferential Claim: Usually asserted by premise or conclusion indicator
words.
• Example: "Mad cow disease is spread by feeding parts of infected animals to cows,
and this practice has yet to be completely eradicated. Thus, mad cow disease
continues to pose a threat to people who eat beef." The word "thus" explicitly
indicates an inferential claim.
• Implicit Inferential Claim: Exists when there's an inferential relationship between
statements without indicator words.
• Example: "The genetic modification of food is risky business. Genetic engineering
can introduce unintended changes into the DNA of the food-producing organism,
and these changes can be toxic to the consumer." The relationship between the
statements implicitly suggests that the latter two support the first (which is the
conclusion).

5. Distinguishing Arguments from Non-Arguments:

• The basic test for an argument is that "(1) it is a group of two or more statements
and (2) one of those statements (the conclusion) is claimed or intended to be
supported by the others (the premises)."

6. Five Types of Non-Argumentative Discourse:

• Reports: Their purpose is "simply to convey information about a subject or event."


They lack an inferential claim.
• Example: A description of demographic changes in the 20th century.
• Unsupported Assertions: These are statements of belief without any supporting
reasons or evidence.
• Example: "I believe that it is not dying that people are afraid of."
• Conditional Statements: These are "if-then statement or antecedent-consequent
statement." They do not claim that any part follows from another.
• Example: "If it rains, then the picnic will be canceled."
• Illustrations: These "are intended to provide examples of a claim, rather than prove
or support the claim."
• Example: "Many wildflowers are edible. For example, daisies and day lilies are
delicious in salads."
• Explanations: These "try to show why something is the case, not to prove that it is
the case." The distinction between an argument and an explanation often depends
on the intent. An argument aims to establish the truth of a conclusion, while an
explanation aims to provide reasons for something already accepted as true.
• Examples provided: "Titanic sank because it struck an iceberg." (Likely an
explanation, assuming the sinking is accepted as fact). "Capital punishment should
be abolished because innocent people may be mistakenly executed." (Likely an
argument, aiming to persuade the reader to accept the conclusion).

Conclusion:
The provided lecture excerpts lay the foundational groundwork for understanding the nature of
arguments in logic and critical thinking. By grasping the definitions of arguments, statements,
premises, and conclusions, and by learning to identify indicator words and inferential claims,
students can begin to effectively distinguish arguments from other forms of discourse. The
recognition of non-argumentative discourse such as reports, unsupported assertions, conditional
statements, illustrations, and explanations is crucial for developing sound analytical skills. The
distinction between good and bad arguments sets the stage for further exploration of argument
evaluation.

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