Sep 21st 09 Posted in Fallacies

Introduction to Fallacies

“Fallacy” is the term used to describe bad arguments employed in a debate or discussion. They are arguments that may seem true, but really don’t make sense upon closer inspection. The study of fallacies goes back a long way. Aristotle categorized 13 fallacies in a writing called “Sophistical Refutations”. Today there are nearly 100 categorized fallacies. Being able to identify... read more

Sep 29th 09 Posted in Fallacies

Stages of an Argument

In order to catch bad arguments (fallacies), you should understand the three stages of an argument: 1. Premise Arguments begin with introductory statements. It is the initial evidence to support an argument. This is called the “premise”. The premise usually contains two or more statements. 2. Inference All the introductory evidence of the premise should hint, imply, or lead to a certain conclusion. The... read more

Nov 24th 09 Posted in Philosophy

Deductive & Inductive Arguments

Arguments can be divided into two categories:  Deductive and Inductive. Deductive Arguments A deductive argument is an argument where the conclusion is certainly true. The supporting evidence (premise) guarantees the truth of the conclusion. Here is a classic example where the conclusion is certain: All men are mortal. (premise) Socrates was a man. (premise) Therefore Socrates was mortal... read more