Philosophy CH. 3

What is an argument?

A group of statements where some statements give reasons to support another statement, called the conclusion.

What does diagramming arguments involve?

Breaking an argument into parts to clearly see the reasons and the conclusion, listing each statement in order and showing how the premises lead to the conclusion.

What is a deductive argument?

An argument where the conclusion must be true if all the premises are true, depending on the connections between the statements.

What is an inductive argument?

An argument where the premises make the conclusion likely to be true, but not guaranteed, based on patterns or observations.

What are moral statements?

Express judgments about what is right or wrong, or what people should do.

What are nonmoral statements?

Describe facts about the world without making judgments.

What are the elements of a good summary?

Explains what the argument is trying to prove and the reasons for it clearly and concisely, only including important information without adding new ideas or opinions.

What is an example of an argument?

All dogs are animals. My pet is a dog. Therefore, my pet is an animal.

What is an example of diagramming an argument?

Exercise is good for your health. Running is exercise. Therefore, running is good for your health.

What is an example of a deductive argument?

If a shape is a square, then it has four sides. This shape is a square. Therefore, it has four sides.

What is an example of an inductive argument?

Every time I eat too much candy, I feel sick. Therefore, if I eat too much candy again, I will probably feel sick.

What is an example of a moral statement?

Stealing is wrong.

What is an example of a nonmoral statement?

He took money from the store.

What is an example of a good summary?

This argument is trying to show that helping others is important because it makes people’s lives better.