Lecture 6: Tributary Arguments and Schematization

Vocabulary and key concepts from the lecture on building schematizations, identifying tributary links, and analyzing argument structures.

Main Argument

The argument within a passage whose conclusion stands on its own and does not serve as support for another claim.

Tributary Argument

An argument that feeds its conclusion into the support of another argument; it is a component of a larger reasoning structure.

Argument Link Notation

The method of representing the connection between two arguments using an arrow, specifically formatted as $C_1 \rightarrow S_2$ (Conclusion of Argument 1 to Support of Argument 2).

Schematization

The process of creating a structured representation of an argument by identifying conclusions, supports, and the logical links between them.

Reasoning Flags

Words or phrases indicating indirectness or a reasoning connection, such as "must have been," "probably," "surely," or "I suspect."

Connector Words/Phrases

Words like "so," "therefore," "consequently," or "and that means," which indicate that what follows is a conclusion derived from previous statements.

Implicit Conclusion

A conclusion that is not explicitly stated in the text but is implied; it must be made explicit when schematizing the argument.

Normative Language

Language involving claims about what "should" or "ought" to be done, which often serves as a flag for reasoning or identifies a conclusion.

Indirectness

A quality of a sentence that flags it as a conclusion by indicating the author's degree of certainty or how something is known (e.g., "it seems clear that").

Implicit Question

The underlying, rarely stated question that an argument is essentially answering, which functions to structure and direct the reasoning.

Degree of Certainty

A function of indirectness where phrases like "surely" or "likely" indicate that a claim is being treated as a conclusion rather than a direct observation.