LOGIC EXAM #2 STUDY REVIEW
Exam date: August 8, 2003
I) CONTENT
A. Arguments in General
General definition
Propositions =
building blocks of arguments; make a factual claim
General types: simple (one inference only, no subconclusion) and complex (more
than one inference, contains a subconclusion)
Inference: process of drawing conclusion from premise(s)
Argument: product of inference (set of articulated propositions)
Distinguishing arguments from non-arguments (explanations, hypothetical
propositions, opinion or statement of belief, reports, warnings, loosely
associated statements, illustrations, advice, exposition, etc.)
Basic traits of argument: minimal requirement (premise and conclusion),
nature of subconclusion, logical/temporal order of arguments, inferential
and factual claims, purpose of argument, problematic/unproblematic
claims, etc.
Independent/dependent support of premises for a conclusion and difference in
diagramming
Inferential claims: explicit [contains indicator term(s)] and implicit
[contains no indicator term]
Indicator terms: types (premise and conclusion), logical/nonlogical usage of
indicator terms
Logical independence (premise) and dependence (conclusion) of propositions
in an argument
Connective terms: indicating contrast, conjunction, etc. (however, but, in
contrast to, in addition, and, moreover, besides, etc.)
Francis Bacon analogies of the argument types: spider = deductive;
bee = inductive
Non sequitur:
Latin, it does not follow
Distinguishing deductive and
inductive arguments
B. Deductive Arguments
Validity/invalidity
Soundness/unsoundness
Logical implication
Claims necessary conclusion
Bacon analogy: spider
Types
- Mathematical
- Definition
- Categorical syllogism
- Hypothetical syllogism
(pure and mixed)
- Disjunctive syllogism
C. Inductive Arguments
Strength/weakness
Cogency/uncogency
Probable inference
Claims probable conclusion
Bacon analogy: bee
Types
- Prediction (various
bases of prediction: causality, historical precedent, etc.)
- Analogy: subject,
analogue, common features, inferred feature, relevance, dissimilarities
(particular to particular movement)
- Inductive
generalization: types (universal and statistical), representative sample,
target characteristic, population (particular to general movement)
- Authority: relevant
expertise, requisite perceptual and memory skills, impartiality
- Signs
- Causal inference: causal
relationship, causal proposition, causal explanation, causal prediction,
and causal prescription
- Statistical syllogism
(general to particular movement)
- Simple enumeration
(particular to particular movement)
D. Argument Analysis and Diagramming
- Bracket all propositions
- Number bracketed
propositions according to their order of occurrence in the argument
- Circle premise and
conclusion indicators (but not other connective or transitional terms)
- Diagram the logical
structure of the argument
II) FORMAT
1. 10 T/F questions (20 points)
2. 20 Multiple-choice questions (40 points)
3. 8 Argument analyses and diagramming (40 points)
4. Extra credit |
