University:
Missouri State University
Course:
PHI 105 | Critical Thinking
Academic year:

2024
Views:

186

Pages:

2
Author:

Oliver Donovan

CRITICAL THINKING: Argument Structure 1. One claim supports the other (in a proving sort of way) Alex is feeling better. I hear him laughing a lot more. We ran out of milk. That’s why I went to the store. 2. Any given claim can function as a premise or conclusion. C All cats have dander. Daisy is a cat. Daisy has dander C Dander makes me sneeze. Daisy has dander Daisy makes me sneeze. 3. Arguments can have unstated premises Karen will do well in law school, because Karen did well in logic. Unstated premise or assumption: Karen did well in logic. [unstated or implicit premise] Conclusion: Karen will do well in law school Karen did well in logic. Doing well in logic means that you will do well in law school. Conclusion: Karen will do well in law school 4. Arguments can have unstated Conclusions If he copied that paragraph from an internet article, he committed plagiarism. He copied that paragraph from an internet article Voila 5. Arguments can have Dependent Premises PREMISES: Dependent vs. Independent Independent The premise stands on its own. The premise supports the conclusion even if the other premise is false. Dependent Premises More than one premise must be true for the premise to support the conclusion. Smoking costs too much. Smoking gives you heart disease. Smoking gives you wrinkles. Smoking gives you lung cancer. C: You shouldn’t smoke All cats have dander. Daisy is a cat. C: Daisy has dander Can also say you have four arguments for the same conclusion. Smoking costs too much. C: You shouldn’t smoke Smoking increases your chance of heart disease. C: You shouldn’t smoke Smoking gives you wrinkles. C: You shouldn’t smoke • Smoking gives you lung cancer. C: You shouldn’t smoke.