ASK QUESTIONS!!!

During the next 45 – 90 minutes, I will present the main points of each chapter.

Presented in terms of questions you should be able to answer?

Please ask if you want me to explain something.

If you do not ask, I will assume you understand.

Things to review (Week 1-7)What are necessary parts of argument?

What words can give you a clue about where the conclusion is?

What is relevance?

What is adequacy?

How do you diagram an argument?

What is difference between argument diagrams?

What is a deductive argument? Are conclusions certain or

probable?

What is an inductive argument? Are conclusions certain or probable?

What is an intermediate conclusion?

What is an assumption?

What is an analogy?

What does it mean for X to be a necessary condition of Y?

What does it mean for X to be a sufficient condition of Y?

What questions must we ask to critique an argument?

What is- Post Hoc FallacyAd hominemCircular ArgumentSlippery Slope ArgumentStraw Man Argument2 Wrongs= 1 Right ArgumentArgument with restricted options-

When is this strong? When is it weak?

Appeal to popularityAppeal to Pity

How can you strengthen an argument?

How can you weaken an argument?

Week 9- Construction Example

What are the facts in the argument? What is motive? Who has a motive?

What is vested interest?

What is “corroboration”? What is “contradiction”?

What is expertise?

Week 10: Evidence + Questioning

Is evidence specific enough? Vague evidence-

Are there any fallacies in evidence?

How could evidence be presented differently? Could info. also weaken the argument?

Is evidence sufficient

Week 10 (Continued) Are questions clear?

Are questions useful?

What kind of answer will question give you?

What words in questions need further definition?

What assumptions are contained in the questions?

Week 11: Argument in News

Ground Zero Mosque-

What were the main arguments for each side?

Week 12: Are Statistics Deceptive? What are “unknowable statistics”?

What are 3 types of averages?

How can averages be deceptive? Absolute numbers? Range? Distribution? What does it mean to prove one thing but conclude another?

How is information obtained? What questions were asked in survey? What are the clues/strategies for recognizing deceptive statistics?

Week 13: Omitted information

Anti-depression- What reasons are omitted? *Everything has positive points- What is not said? Why must arguments be incomplete? What kind of questions would give you the information you need?Why is having a negative view important? What questions can help you identify negative aspects of an issue?