SSH 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Descriptive Knowledge, Philosophical Skepticism, Jelly Bean
28 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture 1 SSH105
Terms and concepts
Statement/clam: an assertion that something is or is not the case
- “Today is Friday” “It is not raining” “She will win the race”
Proposition: the specific thought or idea that the statement expresses
- It is possible for different statements to express the same proposition. Consider “it is
snowing”, and “ill-neige” and “het sneewt”
- It is possible for the same statement to express different propositions, depending on who
states it, when and where etc.
Premise: a statement that is offered in support of a conclusion
- The reasons or evidence stated for accepting a conclusion
Conclusion: statement that is held to be supported by one or more premises
- This is what the speaker want you to accept or believe
Argument: set of statements, one in which the conclusions is taken to be supported by the
remaining statements (premises)
Inference: process of reasoning from a premise to premises to a conclusion, based on those
premises
- Steps you take from premises to conclusion
Steps of argument analysis
1. Figure out if it really is an argument or not
2. Reconstruct the argument
3. Evaluate the argument
About step 0
- Not all texts contain arguments
a. Some texts are just descriptive (narrative of events, description of a thing)
b. Some texts might be an author’s opinion without reasons to support it
c. An “if-then” statement, by itself if not an argument (if it is raining, then the party will be
cancelled”
d. Explanations by themselves are not arguments: they simply tell us why or how something
is the case
Step 1.
- Arguments are not always presented/written/stated in the clearest way
Step 2.
- This is not evaluating its literary merit or rhetorical power
- This is evaluating the rational strength of an argument
Literary merit: argument that uses verbal eloquence, flowery language, original, interesting and
well-written
Rhetorical power: an argument that can persuade or convince- a person who speaks clearly, has a
strong manner and honest appearance has rhetorical power but that does not mean it is a good
argument
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Statement/clam: an assertion that something is or is not the case. Today is friday it is not raining she will win the race . Proposition: the specific thought or idea that the statement expresses. It is possible for different statements to express the same proposition. Consider it is snowing , and ill-neige and het sneewt . It is possible for the same statement to express different propositions, depending on who states it, when and where etc. Premise: a statement that is offered in support of a conclusion. The reasons or evidence stated for accepting a conclusion. Conclusion: statement that is held to be supported by one or more premises. This is what the speaker want you to accept or believe. Argument: set of statements, one in which the conclusions is taken to be supported by the remaining statements (premises) Inference: process of reasoning from a premise to premises to a conclusion, based on those premises.
