Moral reasoning

statement

An assertion that something is or is not the case.

argument

A group of statements, one of which is supposed to be supported by the rest.

premise

A supporting statement in an argument

conclusion

The statement supported in an argument

indicator words

Terms that often appear in arguments to signal the presence of a premise or conclusion, or to indicate that an argument is deductive or inductive.

deductive arguments

An argument that is supposed to give logically conclusive support to its conclusion.

inductive argument

An argument that is supposed to offer probable support to its conclusion.

valid argument

A deductive argument that does in fact provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion.

invalid argument

A deductive argument that does not offer logically conclusive support for the conclusion.

strong argument

An inductive argument that does in fact provide probable support for its conclusion.

weak argument

an inductive argument that does not give probable support to the conclusion.

sound argument

A valid argument with true premises

cogent argument

A strong argument with true premise

moral statement

A statement affirming that an action is right or wrong or that a person (or one’s motive or character) is good or bad.

nonmoral statement

A statement that does not affirm that an action is right or wrong or that a person (or one’s motive or character) is good or bad.

begging the question

The fallacy of arguing in a circle—that is, trying to use a statement as both a premise in an argument and the conclusion of that argument. Such an argument says, in effect, pis true because p is true.

equivocation

The fallacy of assigning two different meanings to the same term in an argument.

appeal to authority

The fallacy of relying on the opinion of someone thought to be an expert who is not

slippery slope

The fallacy of using dubious premises to argue that doing a particular action will inevitably lead to other actions that will result in disaster, so that first action should not be done.

faulty analogy

The use of a flawed analogy to argue for a conclusion.

appeal to ignorance

The fallacy of arguing that the absence of evidence entitles us to believe a claim.

straw man

The fallacy of misrepresenting someone’s claim or argument so it can be more easily refuted.

appeal to the person

The fallacy (also known as ad hominem) of arguing that a claim should be rejected solely because of the characteristics of the person who makes it.

hasty generalization

The fallacy of drawing a conclusion about an entire group of people or things based on an undersized sample of the group.

confirmation bias

Paying attention only to evidence that confirms our beliefs while ignoring opposing evidence.

availability error

The tendency to rely on evidence not because it’s reliable but because it’s vivid or memorable.

motivated reasoning

Reasoning for the purpose of supporting a predetermined conclusion, not to uncover the truth.

Dunning-Kruger effect

The common human failing of being ignorant of how ignorant we are.

appeal to emotion

The fallacy of trying to convince someone to accept a conclusion by appealing only to fear, guilt, anger, hate, compassion, and the like.