A Practical Study of Argument

by Govier, Trudy

• ISBN13: 9780534605254
• ISBN10: 0534605257
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-11
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Learn to formulate better arguments with A PRACTICAL STUDY OF ARGUMENT! Providing you with a practical introduction to sound argumentation, this philosophy text gives you the tools you need to understand formal logic and formulate a good argument. Real world examples are included to show you how theory is brought to life in everyday practice. Tools such as exercises with answers, a glossary of common fallacies, chapter summaries, and a book-specific website give you the practice you need to master the material with ease.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
What Is an Argument? (And What Is Not?)	p. 1
Argument and Opinion	p. 1
What Is an Argument?	p. 3
Where and How Do You Find Arguments?	p. 7
Why Are Arguments Important?	p. 10
What Isn't an Argument?	p. 12
Argument and Explanation: What's the Difference?	p. 18
Chapter Summary	p. 27
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 27
Notes	p. 28
Pinning Down Argument Structure	p. 29
Standardizing an Argument	p. 29
From Colloquial Writing to Standardized Form	p. 34
General Strategies for Standardizing Arguments	p. 38
Important Details about Conclusions	p. 43
Important Details about Premises	p. 51
The Principle of Charity in Argument Interpretation	p. 60
Chapter Summary	p. 64
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 65
Notes	p. 66
When Is an Argument a Good One?	p. 68
The ARG Conditions	p. 68
More on the (R) and (G) Conditions: Reasoning from Premises to Conclusions	p. 71
Using the ARG Conditions to Evaluate Arguments	p. 75
The Significance of Argument Evaluation	p. 81
The Challenge of Argument	p. 85
Evaluating Arguments and Constructing Your Own Arguments	p. 92
The Dialectical Context	p. 94
Chapter Summary	p. 96
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 97
Notes	p. 99
Looking at Language	p. 100
Definitions	p. 103
Further Features of Language	p. 116
Clarity and Audience: The Problem of Jargon	p. 126
Chapter Summary	p. 133
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 134
Notes	p. 136
Premises: What to Accept and Why	p. 138
The Dilemma of Premises	p. 138
When Premises Are Acceptable	p. 140
Summary of Acceptability Conditions	p. 154
When Premises Are Unacceptable	p. 156
Summary of Unacceptability Conditions	p. 165
Chapter Summary	p. 169
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 170
Notes	p. 172
Working on Relevance	p. 174
Characteristics of Relevance	p. 174
Some Ways of Being Relevant	p. 177
Irrelevance: Some General Comments	p. 181
Fallacies Involving Irrelevance	p. 187
Irrelevance, Missing Premises, and Argument Criticism	p. 203
Emotional Appeals, Irrelevance, and Distraction	p. 208
Chapter Summary	p. 211
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 211
Notes	p. 213
Deductions: Categorical Logic	p. 215
Deductive Relations	p. 215
Four Categorical Forms	p. 218
Natural Language and Categorical Form	p. 220
Venn Diagrams	p. 225
Rules of Immediate Inference	p. 227
Contrary and Contradictory Predicates and False Dichotomies	p. 233
Categorical Logic: Some Philosophical Background	p. 235
The Categorical Syllogism	p. 238
The Rules of the Categorical Syllogism	p. 244
Applying Categorical Logic	p. 246
Chapter Summary	p. 249
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 250
Notes	p. 252
Deductively Valid Arguments: Propositional Logic	p. 253
Definition of the Basic Symbols Used in Propositional Logic	p. 254
Testing for Validity by the Truth Table Technique	p. 259
The Shorter Truth Table Technique	p. 262
Translating from English into Propositional Logic	p. 266
Further Points about Translation	p. 276
Simple Proofs in Propositional Logic	p. 285
Propositional Logic and Cogent Arguments	p. 292
Chapter Summary	p. 294
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 295
Notes	p. 297
An Introduction to Inductive Arguments	p. 298
Philosophical Background	p. 298
Inductive Generalizations	p. 301
Causal Inductive Arguments	p. 313
Correlations	p. 318
Problems with Premises	p. 324
Common Fallacies in Inductive Arguments	p. 334
Different Senses of Inductive	p. 344
Chapter Summary	p. 345
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 346
Notes	p. 348
Analogies: Reasoning from Case to Case	p. 350
The Nature and Functions of Analogy	p. 350
Analogy and Consistency	p. 352
Inductive Analogies	p. 367
Further Critical Strategies	p. 375
Loose and Misleading Analogies	p. 378
Chapter Summary	p. 389
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 389
Notes	p. 390
Conductive Arguments and Counterconsiderations	p. 392
Counterconsiderations	p. 395
Chapter Summary	p. 410
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 410
Notes	p. 411
Reflective Analysis of Longer Works	p. 413
Introduction	p. 413
Reading for Understanding	p. 414
Reading for Appraisal	p. 418
Developing an Outline for Your Essay	p. 420
A Sample Essay	p. 425
Working through an Example	p. 430
Chapter Summary	p. 434
Review of Terms Introduced	p. 435
Note	p. 436
A Summary of Fallacies	p. 437
Selected Essays for Analysis	p. 446
"How Patriarchy Becomes Santa Claus: Why a Myth Is as Good as Its Smile,"	p. 446
"Abortion and Violence,"	p. 448
"Believing in the Goddess?"	p. 449
"Clash Over Climate Change: Singer Article Clouds the Picture,"	p. 453
"Global Warming Proof Still Suspect,"	p. 455
Answers to Selected Exercises	p. 458
Index	p. 484
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