what is an argument?

What is an Argument?

M: An argument isn't just contradiction.

O: Well! it CAN be!

M: No it can't! An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.

O: No it isn't!

M: Yes it is! 'tisn't just contradiction.

O: Look, if I *argue* with you, I must take up a contrary position!

M: Yes but it isn't just saying "no it isn't".

O: Yes it is!

M: No it isn't!

O: Yes it is!

M: No it ISN'T! Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.

O: It isn’t

The following sketch from Monty Python shows us both what an argument is and what an argument is not…

But they are the products of the reasoning processes

So they aren’t a fight or mere contradiction

…and they are…

…and they are the philosopher’s tool for problem solving

The connected series of statements are called premises and the ‘proposition’ they are supposed to establish is the conclusion.

…and they are “a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.”

All arguments have a premise and a

conclusion

A logical argument, as opposed to a dispute or fight argument, has evidence -premises – to justify a conclusion.

So for example

P1 Students who work hard during the year do well

P2 You are all students who will work hard this year

C You will all do well

Premise 1

Premise 2

Conclusion

Can you see how the premises justify, or provide evidence, for the conclusion?

Can you see that the conclusion follows from the premises?

Premises then provide the evidence, or justification to support the conclusion

A good series of premises for a particular conclusion will justify that conclusion well

…their job is to provide the reasons for accepting a conclusion

The best premises are those that are both TRUE and SUPPORT the conclusion well

The symbol for a premise is P

It is that statement which the other statements in the argument are supposed to justify/support/establish

The conclusion is the statement one is trying to establish in a piece of

reasoning – in an argument

The symbol for a

conclusion is C

If an argument needs a premise and a conclusion then if we want to find an argument we need to find premises and a conclusion.

(Can you find the premise and conclusion in that argument?)

Finding and identifying premises and conclusions will also usually help us to understand the argument better.

How do we find premises and conclusions?

Finding arguments takes practice. Indicator words though can

sometimes help us to identify premises and conclusions and thus

arguments.

*Warning* Not all arguments have indicator words and not all indicator arguments are

related to arguments, premises and conclusions

because

in the first place

follow from

for

since

as

the reason is that

moreover

it may be inferred from

Indicator words for Premises

Indicator words for Conclusions

consequently

therefore

implies that

hence

so

proves that

it follows that

which means that

conclude that

indicate that

the inference is that

then

in conclusion