1.1 Premises & Conclusions

A premise is a statement providing evidence. A conclusion is a statement of what we reason toward on the basis of the premises. What follows from these definitions? a. A statement is only a premise or a conclusion in relation to at least one other statement. b. A statement can never be a conclusion in one argument and a premise in another. c. Every statement that anyone makes is either a premise or a conclusion.

a. A statement is only a premise or a conclusion in relation to at least one other statement.

What kind of passage is this? "In the end, you will do what you decide, of course. But knowing you as I do, if I were you, I would decide in favor of the new home on the beach over the one-of-a-kind sports car. That's a nice choice you have there." a. advice b. argument c. explanation d. narrative

a. advice

"As I see it, since you failed to provide the services specified this contract is null and void! For this reason, I don't owe you any more money." What is the function of the underlined portion--"For this reason"--in this argument? a. conclusion indicator phrase b. premise indicator phrase c. an expression of emphasis d. none of the above

a. conclusion indicator phrase

True or False: If someone claims that something is true yet provides no evidence for their claim and gives irrelevant facts in support of their claim, this person could still be giving a "good argument" as defined in this class. a. false b. true c. it depends on whether we agree with their claim or not

a. false

Which of the following is not a meaning of the word "reason" as we are using it in this class: a. as a verb--to think critically b. as a verb--to make excuses to someone c. as a noun--meaning the grounds for holding a belief

b. as a verb--to make excuses to someone

"As I see it, since you failed to provide the services specified this contract is null and void! For this reason, I don't owe you any more money." What is the function of the underlined word--"since"--in this argument? a. conclusion indicator b. premise indicator c. a rhetorical expression of frustration d. none of the above

b. premise indicator

"Since the recent Supreme Court decision undercut our previous efforts, we will re-file the petition to require the township public library to filter pornography from its computers." What is the function of the underlined portion, since, in the previous sentence? a. conclusion indicator b. premise indicator c. neither

b. premise indicator

True or False: When someone gives a good argument, the truth of the premises provides evidence that supports the truth of the conclusion. a. false b. true c. it might be true or it might be false depending upon the circumstances

b. true

One of our goals in this course is to learn more about a. when evidence is offensive and gets people angry at each other b. when evidence really provides support for a conclusion c. when evidence is not necessary because we all know, in our hearts, what is true d. what evidence we can ignore because it would force us to question our beliefs

b. when evidence really provides support for a conclusion

True or false: Any argument will always contain at least one premise indicator word. a.True b.False

b.False

Which of the following is NOT a question central to the evaluation of an argument? a. Is the form of the argument reliable? b. Are the reasons relevant? c. Does the conclusion represent a positive view of humanity? d. Does the conclusion follow from the premises? e. Are the premises true?

c. Does the conclusion represent a positive view of humanity?

In this course, an argument is NOT which of the following? a relationship between people who have something to lose who try to win out over another Answers: a. a relationship between evidence statements and scientific conclusions b. a relationship between reasons for believing that a conclusion is true and the conclusion c. a relationship between people who have something to lose who try to win out over another d. a relationship between statements wherein some statements provide reasons for believing that other statements are true

c. a relationship between people who have something to lose who try to win out over another

"So are you happy now? Ever since you organized the office, I can't find any of my receipts and I am going to be audited by the IRS." What is the function of the underlined portion--"So are you happy now"--of the previous passage? a. conclusion indicator phrase b. premise indicator phrase c. a rhetorical expression of frustration d. none of the above

c. a rhetorical expression of frustration

What kind of passage is this? "Personal trainers generally recommend weight training and cardio to their clients. Cardio workouts include things like running, swimming and biking but also dancing and walking. Weight training includes the use of free weights as well as universal machines and resistance bands." a. argument b. advice c. illustration d. explanation

c. illustration

What kind of passage is this? "I am not happy about these new site license fees. The fact that I now have to pay money to access the company's website is distressing to me." a. argument b. explanation c. opinion d. illustration

c. opinion

Which of the following is a conclusion indicator word or phrase? a. since b. because c. thus d. for

c. thus

Sometimes the word "because" signals the presence of an argument, while other times it signals the presence of an explanation. What are some other indications that an argument, rather than an explanation, is being presented? a. The conclusion is open to debate or not an accepted matter of fact. b. The conclusion involves a normative claim about what ought to happen. c. The conclusion involves a prediction about what will happen in the future. d. All of the above

d. All of the above

Not all attempts to connect premises with conclusions work. Which of the following will NOT teach us anything about which attempts succeed and which fail? a. Learning when the truth of the premises guarantees the truth of the conclusion b. Learning when the truth of the premises makes the conclusion probable or more likely c. Learning when the premises are consistent with one another d. Learning when the premises are believed by a majority of a target demographic

d. Learning when the premises are believed by a majority of a target demographic

What is the conclusion of this argument: a) The plane is fully fueled and b) it is dangerous to taxi it in any weather. But c) this storm is really picking up. So d) we cannot let you return to the terminal. e) We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. a. a b. b c. c d. d e. e

d. d

Which of the following is NOT part of becoming a more logical thinker? a. connecting our thought with our actions b. identifying what we already know that is relevant c. relating our ideas to what other people think d. submitting our thought to the control of other people

d. submitting our thought to the control of other people