Transcript Chapter 1: Lecture Notes What Is an Argument? (and What is Not?)

Chapter 1: Lecture Notes
What Is an Argument?
(and What is Not?)
Chapter 1
An argument is:
a set of claims in which one or more of them –
the premises – are put forward so as to offer
reasons for another claim, the conclusion. (1)
Notice that arguments in this sense are not fights
or disagreements. Arguments in the sense
defined are about providing justification for some
belief or other.
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The general framework for an argument is:
Premise 1
Premise 2 …
Premise N (indicates any number of premises)
Therefore,
Conclusion
This form helps make the logical structure of the
argument clear.
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We have to be careful to separate argument
from opinions.
Opinions are beliefs that are usually held with a low
degree of confidence. (3)
The point of arguments and argument evaluation is to have
increase the confidence in our opinions so that we have
the opinions we do with justification.
This is important because what we think affects what we do
and how we behave. (4)
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Arguments and Indicator Words
Indicator words act as clues as to whether a statement is a premise or
conclusion of an argument. Looking for these indicator words will
aid in capturing the logical structure of arguments.
A Few Common Premise Indicators words/phrases:
* since
* because
* for
* as indicated by
* for the reason that
* follows from
* given that
* on the grounds that
* from the reason that * as shown by
* given that
* may be deduced from
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A Few Common Premise Indicators words/phrases:
* therefore
* thus
* so
* consequently
* hence
* then
* it follows that
* it can be inferred that
* in conclusion
* accordingly
* proves that
* shows that
* indicates that
* demonstrates that
There are many indicator words and they are a useful guide the the
logical structure of argument, but there are some potential problems.
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Not all indicator words always indicate something is a
premise or a conclusion. For example, the classic
indicator words don’t indicate premises and conclusion in
the following:
(1)Since 1998, I have loved coffee ice-cream.
(2)Chuck bought a beer for Al.
(3)He gained 10 pounds because he stopped running.
All of these function in ways other than as indicator words.
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Because indicator words don’t always indicate something is
a premise or conclusion, in order to identify arguments
one needs to develop their senses of:
(1)Context
(2)Tone
(3)Logical structure
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Here are some common questions to ask oneself while
trying to identify arguments in passages of text.
(1)What would be its conclusion if it were to contain an
argument?
(2)What is the speaker or writer claiming?
(3)What is his or her fundamental point?
(4)Is some claim actually, or potentially, being disputed?
(5)Are questions of justification being considered?
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Why are arguments important?
Unlike jokes, stories, exclamations, questions, and
explanations, arguments are an attempt to
JUSTIFY
Justification is what separates arguments from these other
activities. And understanding and evaluation arguments
is inseparable from critical thinking. (7/8)
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What isn’t an argument?
Sometimes it is important to know what something isn’t in
order to understand what it is. Here are a few examples
of things that are not arguments.
(1) Two plus two is four.
(2) I love coffee!
(3) Why do I love coffee?
(4) If it rains, I will have another cup of coffee.
None of the sentences are arguments.
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The first is just a statement of mathematical fact. The
second is just a claim about my love of coffee.
Questions are never arguments. And finally, we have a
conditional statement.
If it rains, then I will have another cup of coffee.
This sentence is often confused with argument because it
has ‘then’ in it which looks like a conclusion indicator.
But this sentence cannot be broken up.
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Conditional sentences are referred to as if/then sentences
and cannot be broken into two part. They are one entire
sentence.
A conditional sentence is one that links several conditions,
specifying that IF one condition holds, anther will as well.
(10)
Conditionals are often found in arguments, but the NEVER
express an argument. (10)
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For us, we will break text into two
categories: arguments and nonarguments
Examples of nonarguments are:
Stories, jokes, descriptions,
explanations, questions, and
exclamations.
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Explanation vs. Argument
Arguments and explanations have similar
structure and use some of the same
indicator words like: thus, therefore, so
and because.
But there is an important difference the two.
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Arguments attempt to justify a claim or demonstrate why
something is true.
Explanation attempt to explain or show why something is
true and attempt to increase understanding.
There are three general kinds of explanations:
(1)Causal explanations
(2)Explanations by purpose
(3)Explanations by meaning
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Terms to review:
(1)Argument
(2)Conclusion
(3)Conditional Statement
(4)Explanation
(5)Indicator words
(6)Nonargument
(7)Opinion
(8)Premise