Intro to Logic Exam 1 Baylor University

Ignoratio Elenchi

Missing the point: illustrates a special form of irrelevance. this fallacy occurs when the premises of an argument support one particular conclusion, but then a different conclusion, often vaguely related to the correct conclusion is drawn.

Validity

The impossibility of true premises and a false conclusion

Argument

a group of statements one or more of which are claimed to provide support for or reason to believe one of the other.

Fasle Dichotomy

committed when a disjunctive premise presents two unlikely alternatives as if they were the only ones available, and the arguer then eliminates the undesirable alternative leaving the desirable one as the conclusion

Weak Analogy

committed when an analogy is not strong enough to support conclusion that is drawn.

Composition

committed when the conclusion of an argument depends on the erroneous transference of an attribute from the parts of something onto the whole

Division

committed when the conclusion of an argument depends on the transference of an attribute of a whole onto its parts.

Complex Question

committed when two or more questions are asked in the guise of a single question and a single answer is then given to both of them.

hypothetical syllogism

conditional statement that uses "if" then"

unsound argument

deductive argument that is invalid, has one or more false premises, or both.

sound argument

deductive argument that is valid and has all true premises

categorical syllogism

each statement begins with "all", "no", or "some"

Red herring

fallacy committed when the arguer diverts the attention of the reader or listener by changing the subject to a different but subtly related one.

Straw Man

fallacy is committed when an arguer distorts an opponents argument for the purposive more easily attacking it by demolishing the already distorted argument and then concluding that the opponents real argument has been demolished.

Accident

fallacy occurs when a general rule is applied to a specific case it was not intended to cover

syllogistical logic

fundamental elements are terms and arguments are evaluated as good or bad depending on the arrangement of the argument

Converse Accident

hasty generalization: fallacy that affects inductive generalizations. occurs when there is a reasonable liklihood the sample is not representative of the group based on evidence that pertains to sample.

inference

reasoning process expressed by an argument

precising definition

reduces the vagueness of a word

Statement

sentence that is either true or false that is declarative in nature

antecedent

statement following the "if"

consequent

statement following the the "then"

explanandum

statement that describes the event or phenomenon to be explained

explanans

statement that purports to do the explaining

conclusions

statement that the evidence is claimed to follow from the premises

premises

statements that set forth the reasons or evidence

Invalidity

the possibility of true premises and a false conclusion.

persuasive definition

to engender a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward what is denoted by definiendum. The purpose is accomplished by assigning an emotionally charged or value laden meaning to a word while making it appear that the word really has that meaning in the language in which it is used.

lexical definition

used to report the meaning that a word has in language

Slippery Slope

variety of a false cause fallacy. occurs when the conclusion of an argument rests on an alleged chain reaction but there is not sufficient reason to think that chain reaction will not actually take place.

Petitio Principii

Begging the question- committed whenever the arguer creates the illusion that inadequate premises provide adequate support for the conclusion by leaving out possibly key premise by restating a possibly false premise as conclusion, or by reasoning in a circle.

disjunctive syllogism

an "either" "or" statement

valid deductive argument

an argument in which it is impossible for the conclusion to be false given that the premises are true

invalid deductive argument

an argument in which it is possible for the conclusion to be false given that the premises are true

weak inductive argument

an argument in which the conclusion does not follow probably from the premises, even though it is claimed to .

Argumentum ad Hominem

appeal against man. attacking a person: occurs when one of the two arguers advances a certain argument and the other responds by directing his or or her attention not to the first arguer's argument but to the person instead.

Argumentum ad Baculum

appeal to force, threat: occurs whenever an arguer threatens another person if they do no accept their conclusion.

Argumentum ad Ignorantiam

appeal to ignorance: occurs when the premises of an argument state that nothing has been proved one way or the other about something and the conclusion then makes a definite assertion about that thing.

Argumentum ad Misercordiam

appeal to pity: occurs when an arguer attempts to support a conclusion by evoking pity from audience

Argumentum ad Populum

appeal to the people: occurs when an arguer either excites an audience in order to get them to accept the proposed conclusion or when the arguer aims appeal to a specific individual

Argumentum ad Verecundiam

appeal to unqualified authority: fallacy is variety of the argument from authority and occurs when the cited authority or witness lacks credibility.

strong inductive argument

argument in which it is improbable that the conclusion be false given that the premises are true

inductive argument

argument incorporating the claim that is is improbable that conclusion is false given the premises are true.

deductive argument

argument incorporating the claim that it is impossible for the conclusion to be false given the premises are true

theoretical definition

assigns a meaning to a word by suggesting a theory that gives certain characteristics to the entities that the term denotes

stipulative definition

assigns a meaning to a word for the first time. coining a new word or giving meaning to an old word

proposition

meaning or information content of a statement

Suppressed Evidence

occurs when an important piece of evidence is ignored that obviously outweighs any other presented evidence and then jumps to the conclusion while ignoring important evidence

Amphiboly

occurs when the arguer misinterprets an ambiguous statement and then draws a conclusion based on this faulty interpretation.

Equivocation

occurs when the conclusion of an argument depends on the fact that a word or phrase is used, either explicitly or implicitly in two different senses of the argument.

False Cause

occurs whenever the link between premises and conclusion depends on some imagined casual connection that probably does not exist.

Logic

organized body of knowledge or science that evaluates arguments

modal logic

possibility, necessity, belief, and doubt