SSH 105 Quiz: SSH105 Quiz #2
19 Jun 2018
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SSH105 Quiz #2 Notes
A few key terms and concepts
Statement/claim
- An assertion that something is or is not the case
- Statements are made of words and communicate ideas
- “today is Friday” “it is not raining” “she will win the race”
- when you make a statement you’re saying something is or is not (saying something is
true or is not)
- we make claims about everyday things, “today is Friday”
- we make claims about high things “god exists”
- various claims made in programs/all around us
Proposition
- the specific thought or idea that the statement expresses
- idea behind the statement
- it is possible for different statements to express the same proposition. Consider “it is
snowing”, and “ill neige” and “het sneewt” etc.
- you can use different languages to convey the same idea, can use bilanry code, dance,
variety of ways to communicate the same proposition
- It is possible for the same statement to express different propositions, depending on who
states it, and when, and where etc. (the context). Consider: “I am hungry”, “It will rain
tomorrow”, “I am shorter than her”, “It’s nice to be here”, etc.
- It is also possible for the same statement to express different words
- “I am hungry”- I can refer to different people, depending on who it is that says it, it is a
proposition
- “It will rain tomorrow”- differs meaning depending on what day you use it – different
statements can express the same proposition and the same statements can express
different proportions
Premise
- A premise is a statement that is offered in support of a conclusion
- Bits of evidence
- Lawyer “my client is innocent because of evidence 1, 2, 3”- evidence is premise-
evidence to support conclusions (innocence)
Conclusion
- A conclusion is a statement that is held to be supported by one or more premises.
- “god exists”, “he is guilty”
- any conclusion can be made if premise supports it
- person cannot be innocent and guilty, so either defense lawyer or prosecutor is right
Premise: All universities are great places to learn.
Premise: Ryerson is a university.
Conclusion: Ryerson is a great place to learn.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Argument
- An argument is a set of statements, one in which (the conclusions) is taken to be
supported by the remaining statements (the premises).
- Arguments everywhere
- People constantly trying to persuade us of things
- We argue whether we should take this route or another, where we should go to eat, who
we should vote for etc.
- People try to convince others through premises and conclusions
- Some arguments attack people with opposing views rather than discussing the issue at
hand
- People try to prove or establish some point by providing reasons or evidence to support
that point- these reasons and the points are intended to establish combine to form
arguments, the claim the argument is intended to establish is its conclusion- the reasons
that are supposed to support the conclusion are the premises of the argument
- Process of interpreting and clarifying an argument is reconstructing the argument
- When deciding whether the argument in a passage is good or bad we are evaluating the
argument
Here’s another way of saying this:
- An argument is a group of statement in which some (the premises) are intended to
support another (the conclusion).
- The conclusion is what the speaker wants you to accept or believe.
- The premises state the reasons or evidence for accepting the conclusion.
- Arguments are all around us
Inference
- An inference is process of reasoning from a premise or premises to a conclusion, based
on those premises.
- SSH105 is all about inference
- Inferences will be identified: we’ll learn to distinguish good ones from bad.
- Inferences are steps you take from premises to conclusion
The steps of Argument Analysis
- Argument analysis is the process that consists of evaluating the argument and
reconstructing the argument
- Etc. wondering whether going to college helps people get better jobs- you are likely to
think about all the information you have relevant to these topics and try to determine
what conclusion that information supported- consider both sides of argument and
determine which is stronger
- Our goal in argument analysis is to determine whether the argument succeeds in showing
its conclusion to be true
1. Figure out if it really is an argument or not.
2. Reconstruct the argument.
3. Evaluate the argument.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
About step 0
- Not all texts (or passages, speeches, etc.) contain arguments
- Not everything is an argument
(a) Some texts are merely descriptive, (eg: a narrative of events, a description of a thing.)
these are not arguments
(b) Some texts merely offer the author’s opinion, without trying to provide reasons to
accept it. These are not argument.
(c) An “if-then” statement, by itself, is not an argument.
- “If it is raining, then the party will be cancelled.”
- “A car accident happened at Yonge and Dundas”, “the Mona Lisa is a famous painting,
painted by Leonardo” – Descriptions
- “The Mona Lisa is the greatest painting because it is detailed”- arguments
- This sentence is not claiming that it is in fact raining, nor that the party, in fact, will be
cancelled. There is a claim here, but, all by itself, its neither a premise nor a conclusion.
(d) Explanations, by themselves, are not arguments: they simply tell us why or how
something is the case.
- Opinions by themselves are worthless
- If someone says “I think the Maple Leafs are going to win”- gives no evidence to agree
because it is merely an opinion but do not back claims, not rationally supported
- If then statements that are not backed up are not arguments
- If this thing happens, then this thing happens are also not arguments because there are no
reasons given to support it
- Explanations- scientists try to explain things, not an argument, “I went to the caf because
I was hungry,” not an argument
About step 1
- Arguments are not always presented/written/stated in the clearest way. We will learn how
to identify and clearly display the underlying logical structure of an argument.
About step 2
- This is not evaluating its literary merit or rhetorical power
- A passage has literary merit when it is original, interesting and well-written
- An argument has rhetorical power when it has a tendency to convince or persuade. A
person who speaks clearly, has a strong manner and an honest appearance may be more
rhetorically powerful than a person lacking in these traits
- An argument has rhetorical power when people tend to be convinced by it
- We will evaluate the rational strength of argument. Arguments have rational strength
when the premises provide good reasons to think that the conclusion is true. An argument
has rational strength when it provides a good reason to believe its conclusion, even if it
does persuade people
- An argument has rational strength when its premises provide good reason to believe its
conclusion
- When you examine an argument for rational strength, you are attempting to determine
whether the argument’s premise provide you with good reason to believe that the
argument’s conclusion is true.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
An assertion that something is or is not the case. When you make a statement you"re saying something is or is not (saying something is. Statements are made of words and communicate ideas. Today is friday it is not raining she will win the race true or is not) We make claims about everyday things, today is friday . We make claims about high things god exists various claims made in programs/all around us. Proposition the specific thought or idea that the statement expresses idea behind the statement it is possible for different statements to express the same proposition. Consider it is snowing , and ill neige and het sneewt etc. you can use different languages to convey the same idea, can use bilanry code, dance, variety of ways to communicate the same proposition. It is possible for the same statement to express different propositions, depending on who states it, and when, and where etc. (the context).
