Methods Of Reasoning Exam 1 / (TERMS)

ad hominem

attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument itself

post hoc

assuming that because one thing happened before another, the first caused the second

appeal to emotion

using someone’s emotions instead of good reasoning or evidence

appeal to majority

claiming something is true or correct because most people believe it or do it

subjectivism

believing that something is true or right because someone personally feels it is right

equivocation

using a word or phrase with two different meanings in the same argument

composition

assuming that what is true of the individual parts must also be true of the whole

appeal to ignorance

saying something is true because it has not been proven false or vice versa

accident

applying a general rule to a specific situation where that rule does not actually apply

false dichotomy

presenting only two choices where there are actually more than two choices

appeal to force

using a threat or fear of punishment to convince someone to accept a conclusion

slippery slope

claiming that one small action will lead to a series of increasingly bad consequences

appeal to authority

claiming something is true because an expert says it is true

hasty generalization

making a general conclusion based on too little evidence

begging the question

using the conlclusion as a reason for proving the conclusion

division

what is true of the whole must be true of the parts

red herring

bringing up irrelevant information to distract from the main argument

straw man

misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack

missing the point

giving an argument or conclusion that does not actually address the main point

deductive

an argument where the premises make the conclusion certain

inductive

an argument where the premises make the conclusion likely, not certain

valid

a deductive argument where the conclusion must be true if the premises are true

invalid

a deductive argument where the conclusion does not necessarily follow from the premises

strong

an inductive argument where the premises make the conclusion very likely to be true

weak

an inductive argument where the premises do not make the conclusion very likely to be true

sound

a deductive and valid argument with true premises

cogent

an inductive and strong argument with true premises

unsound

a deductive and invalid argument with at least one false premise

uncogent

an inductive and weak argument with at least one false premise

implicit

something that is suggested or understood without being said

explicit

something that is clearly and directly stated