Gsu Phil 1010 Critical Thinking Lecture 3
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PHIL 1010
CRITICAL THINKING
LECTURE 3
QUIZ START OF CLASS (1) A statement is true when: (a) everyone believes it. (b) what it says about the world is correct. (c) there is adequate evidence for it.
(2) True/False: An assumed premise is the conclusion of a subargument?
What are linked arguments? -
Arguments in which the premise of one is the conclusion of the other.
Main Argument? -
the last argument in the standardization of a set of linked arguments.
Sub Argument? -
Arguments used to support premises of other arguments.
What is the form of a standardized argument? 1.
Premise goes here
2.
Premise goes here
Therefore, 3.
Conclusion goes here
“We need a taxi cause you’re hungover and I’m broke” – Katy Perry Is this an argument or an explanation? Standardize the following argument: Why in the world would we waterboard prisoners? Information obtained under duress is statistically unreliable. Further, we are setting a precedent for how to treat prisoners of war, and we don’t want US soldiers tortured. Finally, waterboarding is a human rights violation.
(1) Waterboarding is not a reliable method for obtaining information. (2) If the US waterboards prioners of war, other countries might waterboard US soldiers. (3)
[UP]We don’t want US soldiers waterboarded.
(4)
Waterboarding is a human rights violation.
(5)
[UP]We shouldn’t violate human rights.
Therefore, (6)[UC]We should not waterboard prisoners of war. ===================== The True Premises Test All good arguments share two properties: (1)All the premises are true. (2) The argument has a good form. Truth as correspondence: A statement is true when (if and only if) what it says about the world is correct. Otherwise, it is false. Examples: (1) Critical thinking instructors at GSU make $1,000,000/class. (2) Barak Obama is the current US president. (3) B is a subset of A if and only if every member of B is a member of A.
Example: (1)
If Keith is wearing blue jeans, then God exists.
(2)
Keith is wearing blue jeans.
Therefore, (3) Compare:
God exists.
(1)
If it’s raining, then the streets are wet.
(2)
It’s raining.
Therefore, (3)
The streets are wet.
The difference is not the form, but the truth of the premises. Does anyone buy (1) in the first example? Form vs. Content Last two examples have the same form: (1)
If P, then Q
(2)
P
Therefore, (3)
Q
Compare: House, MD – every episode has the same form (someone has an undiagnosed illness; House doesn’t want to take the case until he realizes something is weird about it; several diagnoses are proposed to be shown inconsistent with the (typically psychological) symptoms; his team nay says his controversial approach to treatment; he solves the case). But, the content is different: one show is about lupus and a romantic relationship; another is about echo-11 and House’s addiction to vicodin. ===================== Audience: Individual or group of individuals that the person making the argument wishes to convince that a given conclusion is true. An argument will be more effective if the premises are uncontroversial with the target audience. But, statements are either true or false, regardless of the audience (e.g., the audience may believe that P, while P is false). Demonstrated Premise (aka Defended Premise): The conclusion of a subargument. Example: (1)
The Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates will rise.
Therefore,
(2) Interest rates will rise. (1) Interest rates will rise. (2) If interests rates rise, then stock market prices will fall. Therefore, (3) Stock market prices will fall. Assumed Premise: A premise that is not the conclusion of a subargument. Example: (1) All observed Ravens have been black. Therefore, (2)
All Ravens are black.
An infinite regress is a sequence that goes in a backward direction without end. Examples: •
Why?
•
Causal Chains (e.g., God as first cause)
•
Inferential/Epistemic Support
Import: the necessity of assumption To avoid an infinite regress, some premises must be unsupported The Problem of Ignorance We don’t know everything. Import: (1) It is hard to decide what to assume. (2) We may not know the relevant background information to evaluate an argument. (3) Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know (we might think we know that P when we don’t). (4) Sometimes we do (we might realize that we don’t know whether P). Moral:
Don’t jump to conclusions.
CRITICAL THINKING
LECTURE 3
QUIZ START OF CLASS (1) A statement is true when: (a) everyone believes it. (b) what it says about the world is correct. (c) there is adequate evidence for it.
(2) True/False: An assumed premise is the conclusion of a subargument?
What are linked arguments? -
Arguments in which the premise of one is the conclusion of the other.
Main Argument? -
the last argument in the standardization of a set of linked arguments.
Sub Argument? -
Arguments used to support premises of other arguments.
What is the form of a standardized argument? 1.
Premise goes here
2.
Premise goes here
Therefore, 3.
Conclusion goes here
“We need a taxi cause you’re hungover and I’m broke” – Katy Perry Is this an argument or an explanation? Standardize the following argument: Why in the world would we waterboard prisoners? Information obtained under duress is statistically unreliable. Further, we are setting a precedent for how to treat prisoners of war, and we don’t want US soldiers tortured. Finally, waterboarding is a human rights violation.
(1) Waterboarding is not a reliable method for obtaining information. (2) If the US waterboards prioners of war, other countries might waterboard US soldiers. (3)
[UP]We don’t want US soldiers waterboarded.
(4)
Waterboarding is a human rights violation.
(5)
[UP]We shouldn’t violate human rights.
Therefore, (6)[UC]We should not waterboard prisoners of war. ===================== The True Premises Test All good arguments share two properties: (1)All the premises are true. (2) The argument has a good form. Truth as correspondence: A statement is true when (if and only if) what it says about the world is correct. Otherwise, it is false. Examples: (1) Critical thinking instructors at GSU make $1,000,000/class. (2) Barak Obama is the current US president. (3) B is a subset of A if and only if every member of B is a member of A.
Example: (1)
If Keith is wearing blue jeans, then God exists.
(2)
Keith is wearing blue jeans.
Therefore, (3) Compare:
God exists.
(1)
If it’s raining, then the streets are wet.
(2)
It’s raining.
Therefore, (3)
The streets are wet.
The difference is not the form, but the truth of the premises. Does anyone buy (1) in the first example? Form vs. Content Last two examples have the same form: (1)
If P, then Q
(2)
P
Therefore, (3)
Q
Compare: House, MD – every episode has the same form (someone has an undiagnosed illness; House doesn’t want to take the case until he realizes something is weird about it; several diagnoses are proposed to be shown inconsistent with the (typically psychological) symptoms; his team nay says his controversial approach to treatment; he solves the case). But, the content is different: one show is about lupus and a romantic relationship; another is about echo-11 and House’s addiction to vicodin. ===================== Audience: Individual or group of individuals that the person making the argument wishes to convince that a given conclusion is true. An argument will be more effective if the premises are uncontroversial with the target audience. But, statements are either true or false, regardless of the audience (e.g., the audience may believe that P, while P is false). Demonstrated Premise (aka Defended Premise): The conclusion of a subargument. Example: (1)
The Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates will rise.
Therefore,
(2) Interest rates will rise. (1) Interest rates will rise. (2) If interests rates rise, then stock market prices will fall. Therefore, (3) Stock market prices will fall. Assumed Premise: A premise that is not the conclusion of a subargument. Example: (1) All observed Ravens have been black. Therefore, (2)
All Ravens are black.
An infinite regress is a sequence that goes in a backward direction without end. Examples: •
Why?
•
Causal Chains (e.g., God as first cause)
•
Inferential/Epistemic Support
Import: the necessity of assumption To avoid an infinite regress, some premises must be unsupported The Problem of Ignorance We don’t know everything. Import: (1) It is hard to decide what to assume. (2) We may not know the relevant background information to evaluate an argument. (3) Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know (we might think we know that P when we don’t). (4) Sometimes we do (we might realize that we don’t know whether P). Moral:
Don’t jump to conclusions.
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