PHIL 1010 CRITICAL THINKING LECTURE 1

Arguments and Statements

Argument – not a verbal fight, and argument is an attempt to provide reasons (or
support) for thinking some statement is true. Arguments consist of two parts:
premises and conclusions.

Example1: If you like it, then you put a ring on it. You like it. Therefore, you put a
ring on it.

Example2: (1) Every raven ever observed is black.

(2) All ravens are black.

Conclusion: A statement that the argument is intended to support.

Premise: A statement intended to support the conclusion.

You try:

You left your dirty dishes out again.

The streets are wet. If it’s raining, then the streets are wet and it’s raining.

Statement - a sentence that makes a claim that can be either true of false (cf.
proposition). An argument has at least two statements (premise and conclusion). All
statements are either true or false.

Example 1: The continuum hypothesis has not been proven.

Example 2: Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel's life.

Example 3: There were 5,143,698 people in Atlanta at noon today.

You try:

(1) There must be 50 ways to leave your lover.

(2) Hop on the bus, Gus.

(3) Why don’t we both just sleep on it tonight?

(4) She said, “it’s really not my habit to intrude.”

Imperatives and interrogatives are not statements (though they can be rephrased
to express statements).

Two Cautions:

1. A sentence can express more than one statement.

• Doc Holiday is a better shot than Wyatt Earp or Johnny Ringo.

– (1) Doc Holiday is a better shot than Wyatt Earp. (2) Doc Holiday is a
better shot than Johnny Ringo.

– Katie is at home or Izzy is at MJQ.

− (1) Katie is at home. (2) Izzy is at MJQ.

2. Several sentences can express just one statement.

• All bachelors are unmarried men. All unmarried men are unmarried men. All
unmarried men are bachelors. All bachelors are bachelors.

Finding and Recognizing Arguments

Find a set of one or more statements (premises) that an author claims to support
another statement (the conclusion.

(1) Look for an attempt to convince. Most often, arguments are responses to
disagreement so the content of an argument will often be contentious
(usually not for claims like “The Sky is blue”).

(2) Find the conclusion. The conclusion is the main point. There are indicator
words: so, therefore, thus, hence, shows that, suggests that, it follows that,
means that, etc. (p. 20).

(3) Find the premises. After spotting the conclusion, ask yourself what the author
uses to support it. Indicator words: since, for, because, for the reason, follows
from, based on, assuming that, etc. (p. 20).

Example: Over the next six months, China will have an increased demand for
gas and other petroleum products. So, the price of gas will rise.

Complication 1: There aren’t always indicator words, and indicator words don’t
always mean there’s a premise or conclusion around (indicator words can be
used without making an argument, and there are arguments without them).
Rough guide.

Example: I haven’t seen her since we broke up.

 Complication 2: Premises and conclusions come in different orders (premises
first, conclusion first, conclusion between premises).

Example: The show is not Thursday, because Meghan is going and she works
Thursday night.

Complication 3: Premises and Conclusions not in Declarative Form

Example: (a) Some have gone as far as to claim that [Picquart] was a
forger, that he forged the telegram to ruin Esterhazy. (b) But, good
God, why? (c) For what reason? (d) Give me a motive. (e) Was he too
paid by the Jews?

- Only (a) is declarative.

Rephrase: (1) Picquart had no reason to forge the telegram to ruin

Esterhazy. Therefore, (2) Picquart did not forge the telegram.

Complication 4: Unstated Premises and Unstated Conclusions

(a) Some have gone as far as to claim that [Picquart] was a forger, that he
forged the telegram to ruin Esterhazy. (b) But, good God, why? (c) For what
reason? (d) Give me a motive. (e) Was he too paid by the Jews?

Conclusion: Picquart did not forge the telegram.

Remember: Just ask yourself what the author is trying to convince you of.

Unstated Conclusion: a conclusion that is not explicitly stated.

3 Conditions for an Unstated Premise:

(1) The author believes that a statement is true

(2) The author intends for this statement to be a premise of an argument.

(3) The author does not include any sentence (declarative or non-declarative)
that asserts the statement.

Example: The Reagan administration should not have traded arms for the hostages
in Iran. Doing so bolstered an anti-US regime.

(1) Trading arms for the hostages in Iran bolstered an anti-US regime.

Therefore,
 (3) The Reagan administration should not have traded arms for the hostages
in Iran.

The unstated premise is:

(2) The Reagan administration should not have done anything that bolstered
an anti-US regime.

(1) An unstated premise must be a logically necessary step between premise

and conclusion.

(2) An unstated premise must be something that the author and almost
everyone else thinks is true.

Enthymeme: Arguments with an unstated premise or an unstated conclusion.

Tip: If you are not sure, assume that the argument does not contain unstated
premise (p. 28).

Complication 5: Multiple Arguments

Example: (1) Katie is at home or Izzy is at MJQ. (2) Katie is not at home. So, (3) Izzy
is at MJQ.

(1) If Max is back from his trip, then Izzy is not at MJQ. (2) Izzy is at MJQ. So, (3)
Max is not back from his trip.

You try:

“Where is the stock market headed? Some think we are in the middle of a sustained
bull market. My view is that stock market prices will go down this coming quarter
because if interests rates go up, then stock market prices will go down, and the
Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates will rise.”

(1) If interests rates rise, then stock market prices will fall.

(2) Interest rates will rise.

Therefore,

(3) Stock market prices will fall.

(1) The Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates will rise.

(2) If the Federal Reserve indicates that interest rates will rise, then interest
rates will rise.
Therefore,

(3) Interest rates will rise.

Things That Are Not Arguments (But That Might Seem Like They Are)

• Assertions – “Everyone should grow a mustache.”

• Questions – “Should I grow a mustache?”

• Commands – “Don’t you dare shave that mustache!”

• Descriptions – “His mustache was full, dark, and handsome. It was the
epitome of masculine.”

• Explanations – How-to: “Do not shave the hair between the top lip and the
nose. Shave all other facial hair.” Why: “Sam grew a mustache because
everyone else in his social group was wearing one. It was the heyday of the
stache.”

Explanations have two parts: (1) Explandum – the thing to be explained, and (2)
Explanans – the thing doing the explaining.

Agreement vs. Disagreement