13: Anatomy of an Argument
- Page ID
- 199349
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- 13.1: Reasoning and Argument
- This page discusses Thaddeus Robinson's "Reasoning and Argument," highlighting the significance of reasoning in daily life for achieving goals. It emphasizes that while we naturally have reasoning skills, they can be improved for better decision-making. The chapter defines reasoning, examines its relationship with arguments, and introduces essential skills like argument analysis and evaluation, alongside developing relevant vocabulary.
- 13.2: What is Reasoning?
- This page explains reasoning as a mental process that leads to conclusions, changing one’s beliefs based on reasons derived from existing knowledge. It emphasizes the variability in the strength of evidence and illustrates how confidence in beliefs can be enhanced without necessarily changing them. An example provided shows how a conclusion about a borrowed car can be reached and later supported by additional information, highlighting reasoning's role in belief modification.
- 13.3: Automatic, Semi-Automatic, and Conscious Reasoning
- This page discusses three types of reasoning: automatic, semi-automatic, and conscious. It emphasizes that many cognitive processes happen without conscious thought, such as recognizing faces or reading. Although automatic processes can effectively update beliefs, conscious reasoning demands deliberate thought.
- 13.4: Arguments and Their Parts
- This page explains the difference between reasoning and arguments, highlighting that reasoning changes beliefs through justification, while arguments consist of premises supporting a conclusion. It notes that disagreements without justification do not constitute arguments and provides examples. The text underscores the importance of evaluating arguments to discern good from bad, emphasizing understanding their structure to enhance reasoning skills.
- 13.5: Spotting Arguments
- This page discusses argument indicator words in writing and speech, highlighting premises like "since" and "because," and conclusions like "thus" and "therefore." It warns that these indicators may not always be reliable due to contextual usage. Additionally, it stresses that the contentiousness of a claim does not impact its validity as an argument; any statement with reasoning leading to a conclusion qualifies as an argument, regardless of its subjective nature.
- 13.6: Evaluating Arguments
- This page discusses how to evaluate arguments by distinguishing between good and bad ones. It defines a factually correct argument as one with true premises, while factually incorrect ones have false premises. It explains logical strength, where true premises may support the conclusion. An argument can be factually incorrect yet logically strong, and a good argument is both factually correct and logically strong.
- 13.7: Works Cited
- This page features a list of works cited focused on automatic processing and unconscious reasoning. It references a chapter from "Arguments in Context" by Thaddeus Robinson, which is under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. Additional resources are included, including an article by Fujia Sun, to further explore automated processing.