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Identifying Arguments
Scavenger Hunt

Identifying Agument Markers

Identify any argument markers:

Identifying Reasons & Conclusions

Put arguments into standard form:
1) He's retired.
2) Anyone who's retired is a basketball player.

Challenge 1

3) .: Michael Jordan was a basketball player. (1,2)

So, it should be obvious...

Valid and unsound

1) Alma College's SAC has three floors.
2) It's a pretty basic building.

Challenge 2

3) .: SAC is not a skyscaper. (1,2)

Because

Valid and Sound

1) Jeff Abernathy is Alma College's president.
2) All college presidents are men.
3) .: Jeff Abernathy is a man. (1,2)

Challenge 3

which makes sense; so obviously; everyone knows...

Valid and Unsound

Challenge 4:

State the Term

State the Claim

Find the assuring term in the argument.

everyone knows

everyone knows that Utiliterians believe in consequences...

Find the guarding term in the argument.

some

some utiliterians allow for harm to individuals...

Find the discounting term in the argument.

but

but with individual actions, it undermines the Principle of Automony.

Identify two of each of the following in the argument for Challenge #4. Write them down exactly as they are shown.
If autonomy is important to you, then you might want to look into Kantian deontology or Virtue Ethics.

Conditional

If consequences are important, then a moral theory is called a consequentialist theory.

Most moral decisions can be decided by appealing to Virtue Ethics and either Kantian Deontology or Utilitarianism.

Disjunction

Everybody knows that utilitarians believe that the consequences are important in determining what's right or wrong.
I argue here that Utilitarianism is integral to making good moral decisions.

Argumentative Performative

I conclude that Utilitarianims is an important moral theory.