MODR 1770 Study Guide - Final Guide: Vagueness, Scientific Control, Fallacy

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orchidhare63

19 May 2016

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Chapter 7: 2 mains ways of criticizing arguments: 1. showing that the premises, even if true, don"t provide adequate support for the conclusion. 2. showing that at least one premise is false or unjustified. It"s hard to say where the exact dividing line is between tall" and not tall", bald" and not bald", emotionally disturbed" and not emotionally disturbed". There can be clear cases where the concept clearly applies, but there will be borderline cases where it"s not clear whether it applies or not. Ex: people might be called educated, for example, if they have had a good deal of formal schooling or if they acquired considerable knowledge through their own study. But in addition to having these two fairly distinct meanings, which make the word ambiguous, it is also vague because neither meaning has a definite boundary. How much schooling (or individual study) does it take before one can properly called educated.

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For example, consider the following argument:
"Measles can't be cured by antibiotics, since Measles is caused by a virus, and antibiotics can't cure a viral infection."

We can see that the argument contains the word "since," which is a premise indicator. We know that what follows "since" will be the premises. We also know, through the process of elimination, that what precedes the word "since" is the conclusion. So my standardized argument will look like this:

1) Measles is caused by a virus. 2) Antibiotics can't cure a viral infection. therefore, 3) Measles can't be cured by antibiotics.

Now we can see the relationship of support between the premises and conclusion. We are asked to accept the conclusion, "Measles can't be cured by antibiotics," based on the two supporting premises. Notice that all of the premises and the conclusion are statements, that is, complete sentences that are either true or false. Also, notice that the premise indicator "since" has been omitted. We always omit premises and conclusion indicators when putting arguments into standard form and make sure that the components of our argument are statements, that is, complete sentences that are either true or false.

For credit on this assignment, do the following:

1) Put the following arguments into standard form:

a) "All dogs are carnivores, consequently, Max is a carnivore, for the reason that Max is a dog."

b) "Rebecca does not pray at the mosque, for she is not a Muslim and only Muslims pray at the mosque."

c) "To every existing thing God wills some good. Hence, since to love any thing is nothing else than to will good to that thing, it is manifest that God loves everything that exists."

2) Create your own argument:

a) Construct an argument of your own using two different premise indicators and one conclusion indicator with the following conclusion: "Now, more than ever, everyone needs to take a class in logic."

b) Then put the argument into standard form.

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A statement that is necessarily false, or a group of statements that, taken together, are inconsistent. A) Division B) Suppression C) Questionable Cause D) Contradiction 2. An attack on oneâs opponent rather than oneâs opponentâs argument. A) Faulty Comparison B) Categorical Proposition C) False Dilemma D) Ad Hominem Argument 3. Consciously believing at a deeper level what we know to be dubious. A) Mood B) Conclusion C) Self-Deception D) Irrelevant Reason 4. A limited perspective shaped by the ideas, interests, and kinds of behavior favored by the groups with which we identify. A) Provincialism B) Delusional C) Composition D) Tokenism 5. Drawing conclusions about a population on the basis of a sample that is too small to be a reliable measure of that population. A) Minor Term B) Small Sample C) Suppressed Evidence D) Rationalization 6. Is the following argument valid or invalid? If valid, explain whether it is deductive or inductive. If invalid, explain why: âMr. Michaels believes that he is the only person on the ballot capable of running our town. He says so time and again in his campaign speeches and ads. What he fails to mention is that he is an alcoholic womanizer with no scruples. Who in their right mind could vote for that?â HTML Editor 7. The fallacy in which it is assumed parts of an item have a particular property because the item as a whole has that property. A) Premise B) Indirect Proof C) Division D) Unrepresentative Sample 8. The fallacious drawing of a conclusion from relevant but insufficient evidence. A) Appeal to Authority B) Hasty Conclusion C) Loyalty D) Middle Term 9. Valid reasoning from justified (warranted) premises that include all likely relevant information. A) Guilt by Association B) Indirect Proof C) Cogent Reasoning D) Contradiction 10. A comparison of one thing to another based on a perceived similarity. A) Indirect Proof B) Analogy C) Two Wrongs Make a Right D) Questionable Cause 11. Is the following argument valid or invalid? If valid, explain whether it is deductive or inductive. If invalid, explain why: âMrs. Kelvin has accused me of intentionally denting her rear fender. I neither confirm nor deny this, however in telling her story she leaves out an important point. As we were both leaving our driveways that morning, I backed onto the street first. She saw this and then deliberately pulled in front of my vehicle as I was preparing to continue down the street. Mrs. Kelvin intended to cut me off, so what happened to her car was entirely her fault.â HTML Editor 12. Is the following argument valid or invalid? If valid, explain whether it is deductive or inductive. If invalid, explain why: âAfter careful consideration, it is the determination of the board that free soda will no longer be provided in the break room. Before making this decision, a survey was distributed amongst all members of the upper management to determine their opinion on the matter. Based on the majority of responses, it was evident that withdrawing the free soda will not have any significant negative effect on morale.â HTML Editor 13. Use of a term in a passage to mean one thing in one place and something else in another. A) Cogent Reasoning B) Superstition C) Equivocation D) Inconsistent

MODR 1770 Study Guide - Final Guide: Vagueness, Scientific Control, Fallacy

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