What is an argument?
1. In the study of logic and argumentation, arguments hold a central position. It’s important to clarify that in this context, an argument doesn’t refer to a heated dispute or a quarrel. Instead, it’s a technical term used in logic, devoid of any connotations of conflict or confrontation.
Let’s delve into the definition of an argument. It consists of three components. Firstly, an argument is a collection of claims or statements. A claim is something that can either be true or false. Secondly, one of these claims is designated as the conclusion. The rest of the claims are known as premises. Lastly, the premises are seen as providing reasons to accept or believe the conclusion. That sums up the definition of an argument.
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Let’s illustrate this with an example. Consider these statements: “All chefs can cook. Maria is a chef. Therefore, Maria can cook.” Here, the premises are “All chefs can cook” and “Maria is a chef”, and they provide reasons to accept the conclusion “Maria can cook”. This might not be a foolproof argument because the first premise makes a sweeping generalization about all chefs that may not hold true in every case. There could be some exceptional chefs who don’t cook but manage other aspects of a kitchen. However, it still qualifies as an argument.
Notice how this argument is structured. The premises are numbered and listed separately, and the conclusion is placed at the bottom, separated by a line and introduced with the word ‘therefore’. This format is known as the standard form of an argument and can be quite useful when analyzing arguments.
2. In everyday language, we rarely use this formal structure. But when analyzing arguments or examining their logical properties or the truthfulness of their premises, presenting arguments in standard form can simplify the process significantly.
To emphasize this point, let’s consider another way to present the same argument: “Can Maria cook? Absolutely. She’s a chef, isn’t she?” This expresses the same argument but in a less formal way. The structure of the argument becomes much clearer when it’s presented in standard form.
In this informal version, you have to infer the conclusion “Maria can cook” from the opening question and response, and you have to fill in an assumed premise: “Maria is a chef”. The conclusion only follows if you assume that all chefs (or most chefs) can cook - an assumption that isn’t explicitly stated but forms part of the background.
The argument makes sense because you’re automatically filling in this background premise. However, for more complex arguments where it may not be clear that everyone is filling in the same background premise, using standard form can be very helpful.
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3. Here are some key points to remember from this discussion: An argument consists of a set of claims offered as reasons to accept another claim. The same argument can be expressed in many different ways using different words and sentence structures. Therefore, presenting arguments in standard form where you can clearly identify premises and conclusions can often be beneficial.
Here’s another example of an argument in standard form:
All birds can fly.
Penguins are birds.
Therefore, penguins can fly.
In this argument, the premises are “All birds can fly” and “Penguins are birds”, and they provide reasons to accept the conclusion “Penguins can fly”. However, this is not a valid argument because the first premise is not true - not all birds can fly, as is the case with penguins. Despite this, it still serves as an example of how arguments are structured in standard form. The premises are numbered and listed separately, and the conclusion is placed at the bottom, separated by a line and introduced with the word ‘therefore’. This format helps to clearly identify the structure of the argument and the role each statement plays.
In the field of logic and argumentation, the structure and presentation of an argument can greatly influence its clarity and comprehensibility. This is where the concept of ‘standard form’ comes into play.
In standard form, an argument is broken down into individual statements, each placed on a separate line and numbered for easy reference. The conclusion, or the claim that the argument is supporting, is distinctly marked and placed at the bottom. This structured format provides a clear roadmap of the argument, making it easier to analyze its logical properties and evaluate the truthfulness of its premises.
Consider everyday language, where we rarely adopt such formal structures. Let’s take an example: “Can Lisa bake a cake? Absolutely, she’s a professional baker!” This statement implies an argument: since Lisa is a professional baker (premise), she can bake a cake (conclusion). However, the argument’s structure isn’t immediately apparent.
3. Here are some key points to remember from this discussion: An argument consists of a set of claims offered as reasons to accept another claim. The same argument can be expressed in many different ways using different words and sentence structures. Therefore, presenting arguments in standard form where you can clearly identify premises and conclusions can often be beneficial.
Here’s another example of an argument in standard form:
All birds can fly.
Penguins are birds.
Therefore, penguins can fly.
In this argument, the premises are “All birds can fly” and “Penguins are birds”, and they provide reasons to accept the conclusion “Penguins can fly”. However, this is not a valid argument because the first premise is not true - not all birds can fly, as is the case with penguins. Despite this, it still serves as an example of how arguments are structured in standard form. The premises are numbered and listed separately, and the conclusion is placed at the bottom, separated by a line and introduced with the word ‘therefore’. This format helps to clearly identify the structure of the argument and the role each statement plays.
In the field of logic and argumentation, the structure and presentation of an argument can greatly influence its clarity and comprehensibility. This is where the concept of ‘standard form’ comes into play.
In standard form, an argument is broken down into individual statements, each placed on a separate line and numbered for easy reference. The conclusion, or the claim that the argument is supporting, is distinctly marked and placed at the bottom. This structured format provides a clear roadmap of the argument, making it easier to analyze its logical properties and evaluate the truthfulness of its premises.
Consider everyday language, where we rarely adopt such formal structures. Let’s take an example: “Can Lisa bake a cake? Absolutely, she’s a professional baker!” This statement implies an argument: since Lisa is a professional baker (premise), she can bake a cake (conclusion). However, the argument’s structure isn’t immediately apparent.
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In contrast, presenting the same argument in standard form makes its structure explicit:Lisa is a professional baker.
Therefore, Lisa can bake a cake.
Here, it’s clear that the fact of Lisa being a professional baker is offered as a reason to believe that she can bake a cake.
However, this format also reveals an assumed premise: all professional bakers can bake cakes. This premise isn’t stated explicitly in the original statement but is necessary for the argument to hold. In more complex arguments, such unstated premises could lead to misunderstandings or flawed reasoning.
Therefore, using standard form can be incredibly helpful in dissecting and understanding arguments. It brings clarity to the argument’s structure and makes explicit any hidden premises. As we delve deeper into this article, you’ll see how frequently and effectively we employ this tool in our exploration of logic and argumentation.
4. In the study of logic, it’s crucial to remember a few key points. Firstly, an argument is essentially a collection of claims that serve as reasons to accept another claim. This structure forms the backbone of
However, this flexibility can also introduce complexity. To manage this, it’s often helpful to represent arguments in a standard form. In this format, each claim in the argument is clearly identified and written on a separate line. This includes both the premises (the reasons) and the conclusion (the claim being supported). Any background assumptions or implicit premises are also made explicit.
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5. Presenting arguments in standard form has several benefits. It allows for a clear identification of the argument’s structure, making it easier to analyze its validity and soundness. It also ensures that all premises are explicitly stated, reducing the risk of misunderstandings or overlooked assumptions.Mastering the skill of representing arguments in standard form is an important part of studying logic. It provides a solid foundation for more advanced topics in logical reasoning and argumentation, and is a valuable tool for anyone looking to enhance their critical thinking skills.
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