Understanding arguments, reasoning and hypothesesMaria Rosala
As researchers working in government, influencing service design, we need to know that our research is methodologically sound, our research findings are grounded in empirical data and our recommendations are logically derived.
'Understanding arguments, reasoning and hypotheses' is the first in a series of 5 short courses, covering introduction courses to various aspects of methodology in research, from the use of grounded theory in discovery research, to hypothesis testing and sampling in more experimental research.
In this course, you'll learn:
About arguments
- what we mean by an argument
- how to identify a valid/invalid argument
- what we mean by premises
- what validity and soundness of arguments mean
About reasoning
- what is deductive reasoning and where do we use it
- what is inductive reasoning and where do we use it
- what is abductive reasoning and where do we use it
About hypotheses
- what is a hypotheses and a null hypothesis
- how do we test them
8DEDUCTIVE How is the professor using logical argument.docxevonnehoggarth79783
8
DEDUCTIVE
How is the professor using logical argumentation
in coming up with mathematical proofs?
How can learning about deductive logic,
such as arguments based on mathematics,
help us make better-informed decisions?
237
WHAT’S TO COME
239 | What Is a Deductive Argument?
241 | Types of Deductive Arguments
247 | Hypothetical Syllogisms
252 | Categorical Syllogisms
257 | Translating Ordinary Arguments
into Standard Form
261 | Critical Thinking Issue: Perspectives
on the Death Penalty
I
n Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery
story “Silver Blaze,” detective Sherlock
Holmes uses his extraordinary pow-
ers of deductive logic to solve the
mystery of the disappearance of racehorse
Silver Blaze and the murder of the horse’s
trainer, John Straker. His head shattered by
a savage blow, Straker’s body was found a
quarter mile from the King’s Pyland stables
where Silver Blaze was kept. A search is
carried out of the surrounding moors and
of the neighboring Mapleton stables for the
horse.
After interviewing everyone who might
have been involved and collecting all the
facts, Holmes concludes that Silver Blaze is
still alive and hidden in the Mapleton stables,
ARGUMENTS
even though the earlier search of the stables had failed to turn up the missing
horse.
“It’s this way, Watson,” [says Holmes]. “Now, supposing that
[Silver Blaze] broke away during or after the tragedy, where could
he have gone to? The horse is a very gregarious creature. If left to
himself his instincts would have been either to return to King’s Pyland
or go over to Mapleton. Why would he run wild upon the moor? He
surely should have been seen by now . . . He must have gone to
King’s Pyland or to Mapleton. He is not at King’s Pyland. Therefore,
he is at Mapleton.”1
As it turns out, Holmes’s deduction is right. The missing racehorse is at
Mapleton, the silver blaze on its nose covered over to disguise its appearance.
Sherlock Holmes also solves the “murder” of the horse’s trainer through
deductive logic. He learns from the stable hand that the guard dog did not bark
when Silver Blaze was “stolen” from the stables. Therefore, Holmes concludes,
the person who took Silver Blaze must have been familiar to the dog. This elimi-
nated suspects who were strangers. Holmes then eliminates, one by one, the other
suspects, leaving only the horse. As Holmes stated in another story: “When you have elimi-
nated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”2 He concludes that
the horse must have accidentally killed its trainer when Straker, who was something of a scoundrel,
used a surgical knife found in his possession to nick the tendons of Silver Blaze’s ham so the horse
would develop a slight limp and lose the upcoming race. Holmes explains, “Once in the hollow,
[Straker] had got behind the horse and had struck a light; but the creature, frightened at the sudden
glare, and with the strang.
Daniel Hampikian's Power point on arguments and moral skepticism - danielhamp...Daniel Hampikian
Dr. Daniel Hampikian's critical thinking and ethics power point on moral skepticism, logical validity, arguments, logic, morality, evidence, induction, deduction, and much more...
danielhampikian
Chapter 3Evaluating Moral ArgumentsWhat Is Moral Reasoning.docxwalterl4
Chapter 3
Evaluating Moral Arguments
What Is Moral Reasoning?
Moral reasoningis ordinary critical reasoning applied to ethics.
Critical reasoning(also called critical thinking) is the careful, systematic evaluation of statementsand arguments.
Statements
A statement(or claim) is the assertion that something is either true or false. The following are examples of statements:“Murder is wrong.”“1 + 1 = 2”“Shakespeare wrote The Tempest.”
Statements and Arguments –1
When at least one statement attempts to provide reasons for believing another statement, we have an argument—a group of statements, one of which is supposed to be supported by the rest.
Statements and Arguments –2
The supporting statements are called premises.
The statement that is being supported by the others is the conclusion.
Identifying ArgumentsAn argumentis intended to prove something.All arguments share a pattern: at least one premise is required to support a conclusion.A cluster of unsupported claims is not an argument.The most reliable way to identify arguments is to look for the conclusion first.Look for indicator words:terms that often appear in arguments and signal that a premise or conclusion may be nearby.
Some words indicating a conclusion:
Therefore, consequently, hence, it follows that, thus, so, it must be thatSome words indicating a premise:
Because, since, for, given that, due to the fact that, for the reason that, the reason being, assuming that, as indicated by
Two Forms of Argument
A deductive argumentis supposed to give logically conclusivesupport to its conclusion.
An inductive argumentis supposed to offer probablesupport to its conclusion.
Common Deductive Argument FormsValid forms:Denying the antecedentAffirming the consequent Invalid forms:Affirming the antecedent(modus ponens)Denying the consequent(modus tollens)The hypothetical syllogism
Deductive Arguments
A deductive argument isvalidif the premises support the conclusion. That is, the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises. If the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
A deductive argument is invalidif the premises do not support the conclusion. That is, the conclusion does not follow necessarily from the premises. If the premises are true, then the conclusion may or may not be true.
A deductive argument is sound if it is valid and all its premises are true.
A deductive argument is unsound if it is invalid and/or any of its premises are false.
Inductive Arguments
An inductive argument is strongif it gives probable support to its conclusion. That is, if its premises are true, its conclusion is also likely to be true.
An inductive argument is weak if it does not give probable support to its conclusion. That is, if its premises are true, its conclusion is not more probable than not to be true.
An inductive argument is cogentif it is strong and all of its premises are true.
An inductive argument is not cogent if it is weakand/or any of.
Reflect back on what you have learned in this course about how to .docxlorent8
Reflect back on what you have learned in this course about how to construct high-quality arguments for positions. “refer to the attached reading chapter for help”
· Give an example of how the ability to think logically and to construct good arguments could help you in your career and in your daily life?
· In what ways the skill of being able to evaluate the quality of reasoning on all sides will better enable you to discover what is true and to make better choices?
· Finally, consider the argument you have been developing for your writing assignments. How has fairly considering multiple points of view helped you clarify your own perspective?
· What advice would you give to people to help them understand issues more clearly and objectively while being fair to all sides? Feel free to comment on any other values you have gained from this course so far.
Your journal entry must be at least 250 words. You do not need to follow APA style for this journal entry, but you should proofread your work to eliminate errors of grammar and spelling.
3
Deductive Reasoning
White cups stacked with one red cup in the middle.
moodboard/Thinkstock
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Define basic key terms and concepts within deductive reasoning.
Use variables to represent an argument’s logical form.
Use the counterexample method to evaluate an argument’s validity.
Categorize different types of deductive arguments.
Analyze the various statements—and the relationships between them—in categorical arguments.
Evaluate categorical syllogisms using the rules of the syllogism and Venn diagrams.
Differentiate between sorites and enthymemes.
By now you should be familiar with how the field of logic views arguments: An argument is just a collection of sentences, one of which is the conclusion and the rest of which, the premises, provide support for the conclusion. You have also learned that not every collection of sentences is an argument. Stories, explanations, questions, and debates are not arguments, for example. The essential feature of an argument is that the premises support, prove, or give evidence for the conclusion. This relationship of support is what makes a collection of sentences an argument and is the special concern of logic. For the next four chapters, we will be taking a closer look at the ways in which premises might support a conclusion. This chapter discusses deductive reasoning, with a specific focus on categorical logic.
3.1 Basic Concepts in Deductive Reasoning
As noted in Chapter 2, at the broadest level there are two types of arguments: deductive and inductive. The difference between these types is largely a matter of the strength of the connection between premises and conclusion. Inductive arguments are defined and discussed in Chapter 5; this chapter focuses on deductive arguments. In this section we will learn about three central concepts: validity, soundness, and deduction.
.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Understanding arguments, reasoning and hypothesesMaria Rosala
As researchers working in government, influencing service design, we need to know that our research is methodologically sound, our research findings are grounded in empirical data and our recommendations are logically derived.
'Understanding arguments, reasoning and hypotheses' is the first in a series of 5 short courses, covering introduction courses to various aspects of methodology in research, from the use of grounded theory in discovery research, to hypothesis testing and sampling in more experimental research.
In this course, you'll learn:
About arguments
- what we mean by an argument
- how to identify a valid/invalid argument
- what we mean by premises
- what validity and soundness of arguments mean
About reasoning
- what is deductive reasoning and where do we use it
- what is inductive reasoning and where do we use it
- what is abductive reasoning and where do we use it
About hypotheses
- what is a hypotheses and a null hypothesis
- how do we test them
8DEDUCTIVE How is the professor using logical argument.docxevonnehoggarth79783
8
DEDUCTIVE
How is the professor using logical argumentation
in coming up with mathematical proofs?
How can learning about deductive logic,
such as arguments based on mathematics,
help us make better-informed decisions?
237
WHAT’S TO COME
239 | What Is a Deductive Argument?
241 | Types of Deductive Arguments
247 | Hypothetical Syllogisms
252 | Categorical Syllogisms
257 | Translating Ordinary Arguments
into Standard Form
261 | Critical Thinking Issue: Perspectives
on the Death Penalty
I
n Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mystery
story “Silver Blaze,” detective Sherlock
Holmes uses his extraordinary pow-
ers of deductive logic to solve the
mystery of the disappearance of racehorse
Silver Blaze and the murder of the horse’s
trainer, John Straker. His head shattered by
a savage blow, Straker’s body was found a
quarter mile from the King’s Pyland stables
where Silver Blaze was kept. A search is
carried out of the surrounding moors and
of the neighboring Mapleton stables for the
horse.
After interviewing everyone who might
have been involved and collecting all the
facts, Holmes concludes that Silver Blaze is
still alive and hidden in the Mapleton stables,
ARGUMENTS
even though the earlier search of the stables had failed to turn up the missing
horse.
“It’s this way, Watson,” [says Holmes]. “Now, supposing that
[Silver Blaze] broke away during or after the tragedy, where could
he have gone to? The horse is a very gregarious creature. If left to
himself his instincts would have been either to return to King’s Pyland
or go over to Mapleton. Why would he run wild upon the moor? He
surely should have been seen by now . . . He must have gone to
King’s Pyland or to Mapleton. He is not at King’s Pyland. Therefore,
he is at Mapleton.”1
As it turns out, Holmes’s deduction is right. The missing racehorse is at
Mapleton, the silver blaze on its nose covered over to disguise its appearance.
Sherlock Holmes also solves the “murder” of the horse’s trainer through
deductive logic. He learns from the stable hand that the guard dog did not bark
when Silver Blaze was “stolen” from the stables. Therefore, Holmes concludes,
the person who took Silver Blaze must have been familiar to the dog. This elimi-
nated suspects who were strangers. Holmes then eliminates, one by one, the other
suspects, leaving only the horse. As Holmes stated in another story: “When you have elimi-
nated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”2 He concludes that
the horse must have accidentally killed its trainer when Straker, who was something of a scoundrel,
used a surgical knife found in his possession to nick the tendons of Silver Blaze’s ham so the horse
would develop a slight limp and lose the upcoming race. Holmes explains, “Once in the hollow,
[Straker] had got behind the horse and had struck a light; but the creature, frightened at the sudden
glare, and with the strang.
Daniel Hampikian's Power point on arguments and moral skepticism - danielhamp...Daniel Hampikian
Dr. Daniel Hampikian's critical thinking and ethics power point on moral skepticism, logical validity, arguments, logic, morality, evidence, induction, deduction, and much more...
danielhampikian
Chapter 3Evaluating Moral ArgumentsWhat Is Moral Reasoning.docxwalterl4
Chapter 3
Evaluating Moral Arguments
What Is Moral Reasoning?
Moral reasoningis ordinary critical reasoning applied to ethics.
Critical reasoning(also called critical thinking) is the careful, systematic evaluation of statementsand arguments.
Statements
A statement(or claim) is the assertion that something is either true or false. The following are examples of statements:“Murder is wrong.”“1 + 1 = 2”“Shakespeare wrote The Tempest.”
Statements and Arguments –1
When at least one statement attempts to provide reasons for believing another statement, we have an argument—a group of statements, one of which is supposed to be supported by the rest.
Statements and Arguments –2
The supporting statements are called premises.
The statement that is being supported by the others is the conclusion.
Identifying ArgumentsAn argumentis intended to prove something.All arguments share a pattern: at least one premise is required to support a conclusion.A cluster of unsupported claims is not an argument.The most reliable way to identify arguments is to look for the conclusion first.Look for indicator words:terms that often appear in arguments and signal that a premise or conclusion may be nearby.
Some words indicating a conclusion:
Therefore, consequently, hence, it follows that, thus, so, it must be thatSome words indicating a premise:
Because, since, for, given that, due to the fact that, for the reason that, the reason being, assuming that, as indicated by
Two Forms of Argument
A deductive argumentis supposed to give logically conclusivesupport to its conclusion.
An inductive argumentis supposed to offer probablesupport to its conclusion.
Common Deductive Argument FormsValid forms:Denying the antecedentAffirming the consequent Invalid forms:Affirming the antecedent(modus ponens)Denying the consequent(modus tollens)The hypothetical syllogism
Deductive Arguments
A deductive argument isvalidif the premises support the conclusion. That is, the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises. If the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
A deductive argument is invalidif the premises do not support the conclusion. That is, the conclusion does not follow necessarily from the premises. If the premises are true, then the conclusion may or may not be true.
A deductive argument is sound if it is valid and all its premises are true.
A deductive argument is unsound if it is invalid and/or any of its premises are false.
Inductive Arguments
An inductive argument is strongif it gives probable support to its conclusion. That is, if its premises are true, its conclusion is also likely to be true.
An inductive argument is weak if it does not give probable support to its conclusion. That is, if its premises are true, its conclusion is not more probable than not to be true.
An inductive argument is cogentif it is strong and all of its premises are true.
An inductive argument is not cogent if it is weakand/or any of.
Reflect back on what you have learned in this course about how to .docxlorent8
Reflect back on what you have learned in this course about how to construct high-quality arguments for positions. “refer to the attached reading chapter for help”
· Give an example of how the ability to think logically and to construct good arguments could help you in your career and in your daily life?
· In what ways the skill of being able to evaluate the quality of reasoning on all sides will better enable you to discover what is true and to make better choices?
· Finally, consider the argument you have been developing for your writing assignments. How has fairly considering multiple points of view helped you clarify your own perspective?
· What advice would you give to people to help them understand issues more clearly and objectively while being fair to all sides? Feel free to comment on any other values you have gained from this course so far.
Your journal entry must be at least 250 words. You do not need to follow APA style for this journal entry, but you should proofread your work to eliminate errors of grammar and spelling.
3
Deductive Reasoning
White cups stacked with one red cup in the middle.
moodboard/Thinkstock
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Define basic key terms and concepts within deductive reasoning.
Use variables to represent an argument’s logical form.
Use the counterexample method to evaluate an argument’s validity.
Categorize different types of deductive arguments.
Analyze the various statements—and the relationships between them—in categorical arguments.
Evaluate categorical syllogisms using the rules of the syllogism and Venn diagrams.
Differentiate between sorites and enthymemes.
By now you should be familiar with how the field of logic views arguments: An argument is just a collection of sentences, one of which is the conclusion and the rest of which, the premises, provide support for the conclusion. You have also learned that not every collection of sentences is an argument. Stories, explanations, questions, and debates are not arguments, for example. The essential feature of an argument is that the premises support, prove, or give evidence for the conclusion. This relationship of support is what makes a collection of sentences an argument and is the special concern of logic. For the next four chapters, we will be taking a closer look at the ways in which premises might support a conclusion. This chapter discusses deductive reasoning, with a specific focus on categorical logic.
3.1 Basic Concepts in Deductive Reasoning
As noted in Chapter 2, at the broadest level there are two types of arguments: deductive and inductive. The difference between these types is largely a matter of the strength of the connection between premises and conclusion. Inductive arguments are defined and discussed in Chapter 5; this chapter focuses on deductive arguments. In this section we will learn about three central concepts: validity, soundness, and deduction.
.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
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Safalta Digital marketing institute in Noida, provide complete applications that encompass a huge range of virtual advertising and marketing additives, which includes search engine optimization, virtual communication advertising, pay-per-click on marketing, content material advertising, internet analytics, and greater. These university courses are designed for students who possess a comprehensive understanding of virtual marketing strategies and attributes.Safalta Digital Marketing Institute in Noida is a first choice for young individuals or students who are looking to start their careers in the field of digital advertising. The institute gives specialized courses designed and certification.
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Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
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Biological screening of herbal drugs: Introduction and Need for
Phyto-Pharmacological Screening, New Strategies for evaluating
Natural Products, In vitro evaluation techniques for Antioxidants, Antimicrobial and Anticancer drugs. In vivo evaluation techniques
for Anti-inflammatory, Antiulcer, Anticancer, Wound healing, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective, Cardio protective, Diuretics and
Antifertility, Toxicity studies as per OECD guidelines
2. THE CHEWBACCA DEFENCE:
A SOUTH PARK LESSON IN LOGIC
Logic is the study of
the principles of
correct reasoning
associated with the
formation and
analysis of
arguments.
3. LOGIC IN ACTION
In groups use your powers or reasoning
and logic to solve the answer to the
following puzzles.
4. LOGIC
In Star Trek when Spock is referred to as
being ‘logical’ it is usually taken to
mean that he is without emotion.
Sherlock Holmes is considered similarly
‘cold’. Why is this? And what is being
‘logical’ anyway?
5. Introduction – The master of
deduction
In one mystery concerning the
theft of an expensive racehorse, a
police officer asks Sherlock
Holmes if any aspect of the crime
strikes him as significant. ‘Yes’, he
says ‘the curious incident of the
dog in the night time’. The dog
did nothing in the night time’
says the hapless police officer.
‘That was the curious incident’,
replies Holmes.
How has Holmes deduced the
solution to the crime?
6. Solution The solution to the crime hinges
on the fact that the watchdog
guarding the horse did not bark
in the night, and from that
Holmes deduces that the thief
must have been known to the
dog. We can lay out Holmes
reasoning formally as follows:
Watchdogs bark at
strangers.
The watchdog did not bark
at the thief.
Therefore the thief was not
a stranger.
7. Argument
We argue in different ways: we quarrel, debate
or persuade. In a philosophical sense argument is
used to persuade others of your point of view.
Although quarrels may not have rules,
persuasion arguments do.
There are 2 categories of argument: Deductive
and Inductive.
A deductive argument provides conclusive
support for its conclusion as long as it is valid, an
inductive argument provides probable support
for its conclusion providing it supplies strong
evidence.
8. 1. Deductive argument is a
method of ascertaining
validity. A properly
constructed deductive
argument is valid so if all its
premises are true then its
conclusion must be true.
9. Aristotle (384-322BC) is credited with inventing deductive
arguments as a means to drawing conclusions. By looking at
his own example we can see the form deductive arguments
take:
If the question were asked ‘Is Socrates mortal?’
then the following deductive argument could be
applied.
All men are mortal (1st premise)
Socrates is a man (2nd premise)
Socrates is mortal (conclusion)
The conclusion follows from the premise. A valid deductive
argument will always lead to a valid conclusion but the truth
of the conclusion relies on the truth of the premises.
10. Cartman gives us another example.
•If the boys combine their lost teeth,
then they’ll get money from the
Tooth Fairy (premise 1)
•If they get money from the Tooth
Fairy, then they can buy a PS3 (premise 2)
-------------------------------------------
•Hence, if the boys combine their lost teeth
then they can buy a PS3 (conclusion)
11. 2. Inductive argument is a
method of ascertaining the
degree of certainty the premises
confer on the conclusion. A
properly constructed inductive
argument has strength in that if
all the premises are true then the
conclusion is probably true.
12. How sure are you that some day you will die?
What evidence do you have for your belief?
With reference to the above example, my belief
that all human beings are mortal is based on the
observation that in history, every human being I
know of has eventually died, and I have never
heard of a human being who didn’t die.
Therefore, I can say with confidence that ‘all
observed human beings have died’.
Our inductive reasoning can therefore lead us to
the conclusion that ‘all human beings are
mortal’.
13. South Park offers another example:
•Because in the past when we
mentioned towel related things,
Towelie has always showed up.
(premise 1)
•And because we will mention
something towel related now.
(premise 2)
-------------------------------------------------
We can conclude that Towelie will show
up. (conclusion)
14. Or, according to Cartman
•If you do drugs, then you are a
hippie (premise 1)
•If you are a hippie, then you
suck (premise 2)
•If you suck, then that’s bad
(premise 3)
So, if you do drugs, then thats
bad (conclusion)
15. In groups
Come up with 2 examples of both an
inductive and deductive argument
16. Final Thoughts
As students of philosophy you will need to debate and discuss
effectively using arguments based on evidence and sound rational
thinking. Using well established induced or deduced logic in order
to arrive at your truth claims will give far greater weight and
importance to your conclusions.
On an even more serious note it is through fallacious reasoning or
faulty reasoning that many people seem to make poor decisions.
In South Park the case is put forward in the episode called Chef Aid
where a prominent lawyer successfully applies the Chewbacca
defence to prove a point to the jury and acquit the record company
of being found guilty of copyright violations of Chefs original song.
17. This South Park portrayal of absurd reasoning is
funny in the cartoon. However its not so funny when
we see faulty reasoning at work in the real world.
Consider the following conclusions drawn.
All Jews are vermin
Vermin needs to be destroyed
All Jews need to be destroyed
OR
All terrorists are evil
All terrorists are Muslim
All Muslims are evil
18. OR
All Americans are immoral
Immorality is punishable by death
I will sacrifice my life to bring
death to Americans.
Logic is the study of the principles of correct reasoning
associated with the formation and analysis of arguments.
The way in which we reason affects the beliefs we have,
which ultimately affects the way in which we behave and live
our lives. Therefore, it is vitally important to reason correctly.