Week 10-11

What are the five key elements of assumptions?

-Assumptions are usually not stated verbally. -Assumptions are present within all arguments. -Assumptions can be either good or bad. -Assumptions are statements that are assumed to be true. -Assumptions are what's being "smuggled" in.

According to this lesson, there are three primary questions that should be asked to help you better analyze an argument. What are these three questions?

-Does the argument contain fallacies? -What argument is being presented? -Is there any evidence to support the premises, or are they merely assumptions?

When an individual appeals to an authority, you should ask yourself the following five questions:

-Is the authority impartial? -Is the authority informed? -Is the authority credible? -What authority is being appealed to? -Do all equal authorities agree?

Identifying hidden assumptions in arguments can be difficult at times. What five tips were mentioned that might help you in this task?

-Listen very carefully. -Ask lots of questions. -Look for hidden reasons (premises). -Identify the main point (conclusion) that the person is trying to make. -Identify the reasons (premises) that the person gives to prove the main point.

When you give an argument, you will inevitably make certain assumptions. That being said, assumptions should be made with caution. What are four things that you can do to make sure your assumptions do not discredit the argument you are trying to make?

-You must be prepared to defend your assumptions if someone inquires about them. -you must be aware of the assumptions you are making. -You must test the assumptions to see if they are valid. -You should try to use assumptions that your audience is going to agree with.

How can you be sure that an authority is informed? Choose all correct answers.

See if the authority is up-to-date with current trends and studies. See if the authority has conducted any related research studies. See if the authority has published any related books or articles.

When seeking to determine whether or not an authority is credible, the two things that you should check are:

The authority's credentials and consistency.

What two questions should you ask yourself when seeking to determine whether or not an authority is consistent?

Is the authority trustworthy? Is the authority consistent or are contradictions present?

Why is it so important to be able to identify fallacies within arguments?

It gives you the upper hand.

Choose five possible authorities, mentioned in this lesson, that individuals might appeal to in order to get across their point.

Science Media God Informed professionals Personal experience

Everyone appeals to some sort of authority in order to "________ it."

settle

"Fallacies are _____ in _________ ."

flaws, reasoning

What are the three questions that you can ask that will help identify hidden assumptions?

"Are there any hidden premises being used?" "What point are you trying to make?" "Why do you believe your point is valid?"

What is a fallacy?

A flaw in reasoning.

What is the definition of an assumption?

A statement that is assumed to be true.

Identify the hidden assumption in the following statement: "If God existed, then I should be able to see him."

Anything that a person cannot see must not exist.

Match each fallacy on the left with the correct definition on the right. Appeal to pity Appeal to force Appeal to tradition Appeal to ignorance Ad hominem

Appeal to pity=Appealing to pity as an argument for special treatment. Appeal to force=Appeal to violence. Appeal to tradition=Assuming that something must be true because it has always been done a particular way. Appeal to ignorance=Arguing that a claim is true just because it has not shown to be false. Ad hominem=Attacking the person rather than the argument he/she is presenting.

What is likely the most effective strategy to use when it comes to uncovering hidden assumptions?

Ask lots of questions.

What is one of the keys (mentioned in this lesson) to identifying what authority a person is appealing to?

Being informed of different types of authorities beforehand.

"Arguments are either _______ or ________ . They are never a matter of ' _______.'"

Correct incorrect opinion

Match each fallacy on the left with the correct definition on the right. False dilemma Overgeneralizing Non sequitur . Appeal to the popular Circular argument

False dilemma Reducing the options you consider to just two. Overgeneralizing Generalizing from too few examples. Non sequitur Drawing a conclusion that does not logically follow the premises. Appeal to the popular Appealing to the emotions of a crowd; also, appealing to a person to go along with the crowd. Circular argument Implicitly using your conclusion as a premise.

According to Acts 5:29, "We must obey ____ rather than ______ ."

God, Man

When seeking to determine whether or not an authority's credentials are credible, what four questions should you ask yourself?

In what field is the authority an expert, if any? Is the authority respected by others in their field? What is the authority's educational background? What is the authority's current position?

Why is it important to identify hidden assumptions?

Oftentimes hidden assumptions cannot support the conclusion.

Match each fallacy on the left with the correct definition on the right. Red herring Fallacy of division Straw man . Fallacy of equivocation Cause and effect

Red herring Introducing an irrelevant or secondary subject and thereby diverting attention from the main subject. Fallacy of division Assuming that what is true of the part is true of the whole. Straw man Making a very weak argument so that no one will agree with its conclusion. Fallacy of equivocation Using the same term in an argument in different places, although the word has different meanings. Cause and effect Assuming that the effect is related to the cause because the events occur together.

Match each fallacy on the left with the correct definition on the right. Slippery slope Guilt by association Poisoning the well Genetic fallacy Special pleading (double standard)

Slippery slope A small first step leads to a string of related events that ultimately culminate in a major event. Guilt by association Rejecting an argument or claim because the person proposing it likes someone whom is disliked by another. Poisoning the well Presenting negative information about a person before he/she speaks so as to discredit the person's argument. Genetic fallacy Attempting to endorse or disqualify a claim because of the origin or irrelevant history of the claim. Special pleading (double standard) Applying a standard to another that is different from a standard applied to oneself.

What happens if you discover the cited authority is impartial and unbiased?

The argument is strengthened.

What happens if you discover that the cited authority is biased and partial?

The argument is weakened and begins to collapse.

What happens when a person cites a particular authority to back up the point he is trying to make, but after doing some research yourself, you discover that not all equal authorities agree?

The argument is weakened and begins to collapse.

Review: The five questions that you should ask yourself to help determine whether or not a particular authority strengthens or weakens an argument are:

What authority is being appealed to? Is the authority informed? Is the authority credible? Is the authority impartial? Do all equal authorities agree?

According to this lesson, if the argument the person is making seems unclear, there are two questions that you should ask to help you determine what argument is actually being presented. What are these two questions?

Why do you believe your point is valid? What point are you trying to make?

You find yourself listening to an argument about the intelligence of various dog breeds, when the person making the argument states, "According to the Animal Planet, the German Shepherd is the smartest dog on earth." After doing a bit of research yourself, you find that the American Kennel Club says the Border Collie is the smartest dog. Because not all equal authorities agree, the argument in favor of the German Shepherd being the smartest dog:

begins to collapse.