Class Notes Chapters 1 & 2

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Key Words

acolyte

logos

implication

entailment

proof

pedagogy

rhetoric -the art of persuading people that a concept is true

argument

implication relation

conclusion

premises

formalize -formalizing an argument, bare bones, getting the premises and conclusion as concise as possible

enthymeme -an argument with a part missing (usually a premise)

extended argument -larger argument consisting of smaller arguments

indicator words

weasel words

straw man fallacy

principle of charity

Notes

true and false apply only to sentences, not arguments

validity and strength are used to describe arguments

questions, imperative statements, and exclamations are not true/false

Argument Ex.

All men are mortal. All X is Y. -Premise 1

Socrates is a man. B is X. -Premise 2

Socrates is mortal. B is Y. -Conclusion

2 criteria form a good argument: -form -truth

just because the individual premises are true and the conclusion is true, does not mean the argument is good

bad arguments: good form/ untrue premises, bad form/true premises

although typically seeming harmless because it is obvious or understood, an argument is incorrect when a premise is left out

extended arguments typically include arguments given to prove the truthfulness of a larger premise

arguments should not use inductive or problematic evidence

Psychological Obstacles

when a person's interest are involved

wanting a claim to be true or false is not evidence that it is

fallacy of wishful thinking -when you confuse the benefit or harm with evidence that something is true or false

wanting to save face -continuing to argue for or against something simply because you already took the stance (despite possibly disagreeing now)

groups/ peer pressure -wanting to believe the same thing as the others (appeal to popularity, prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping)

Philosophical Obstacles

truth

deflationary account of truth

objective vs. subjective beliefs

subjective relativism -based on individuals -the truth depends on what someone believes -some truths are personal truths (opinions, beliefs, conventions) **criticisms: makes us infallible(cannot be wrong) and is self-refuting

social relativism -based on culture -learned beliefs and morals **criticisms: having to know all elements of your culture, makes society infallible, some cultural practices are too heinous, and is self-refuting

skepticism -nothing we know is true or certain (this statement is self-refuting) -often gives possible situations in which a claim is false **criticisms: there is no truth