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What is an Argument?

What is an Argument?. The following sketch from Monty Python shows us both what an argument is and what an argument is not…. O: Look, if I *argue* with you, I must take up a contrary position! M: Yes but it isn't just saying "no it isn't". O: Yes it is! M: No it isn't! O: Yes it is!

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What is an Argument?

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  1. What is an Argument? The following sketch from Monty Python shows us both what an argument is and what an argument is not… O: Look, if I *argue* with you, I must take up a contrary position! M: Yes but it isn't just saying "no it isn't". O: Yes it is! M: No it isn't! O: Yes it is! M: No it ISN'T! Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says. O: It isn’t M: An argument isn't just contradiction. O: Well! it CAN be! M: No it can't! An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition. O: No it isn't! M: Yes it is! 'tisn't just contradiction.

  2. So they aren’t a fight or mere contradiction But they are the products of the reasoning processes …and they are the philosopher’s tool for problem solving …and they are…

  3. …and they are “a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.” The connected series of statements are called premises and the ‘proposition’ they are supposed to establish is the conclusion. All arguments have a premise and a conclusion

  4. A logical argument, as opposed to a dispute or fight argument, has evidence -premises – to justify a conclusion. So for example P1 Students who work hard during the year do well P2 You are all students who will work hard this year C You will all do well Premise 1 Premise 2 Conclusion Can you see how the premises justify, or provide evidence, for the conclusion? Can you see that the conclusion follows from the premises?

  5. Premises then provide the evidence, or justification to support the conclusion

  6. …their job is to provide the reasons for accepting a conclusion A good series of premises for a particular conclusion will justify that conclusion well The symbol for a premise is P The best premises are those that are both TRUE and SUPPORT the conclusion well

  7. The conclusion is the statement one is trying to establish in a piece of reasoning – in an argument The symbol for a conclusion is C It is that statement which the other statements in the argument are supposed to justify/support/establish

  8. If an argument needs a premise and a conclusion then if we want to find an argument we need to find premises and a conclusion. (Can you find the premise and conclusion in that argument?) Finding and identifying premises and conclusions will also usually help us to understand the argument better.

  9. How do we find premises and conclusions? Finding arguments takes practice. Indicator words though can sometimes help us to identify premises and conclusions and thus arguments. *Warning* Not all arguments have indicator words and not all indicator arguments are related to arguments, premises and conclusions

  10. Indicator words for Premises because in the first place follow from for since as the reason is that moreover it may be inferred from

  11. Indicator words for Conclusions consequently therefore implies that hence so proves that it follows that which means that conclude that indicate that the inference is that then in conclusion

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