Argument

This semester, in Comm 41, I have learned how to determine if whether an argument is bad, good, invalid, valid, strong, or weak.

An argument is an attempt to convince someone that a particular claim, called the conclusion, is true. The rest of the argument is a collection of claims called premises, which are given as the reasons for believing the conclusion is true (Epstein, p.5).

A strong argument is if it is possible but unlikely for the premises to be true and the conclusion false (at the same time).

A weak argument is if it is possible and likely for the premises to be true and the conclusion false (at the same time).

A valid argument is in which it is impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion (at the same time).

An invalid argument would be the opposite of a valid argument. It is usually classified from strong to weak.

Example:

All fishes swim.

Therefore, salmons swim.

This would be a valid and strong argument because the true premise leads to a true conclusion. We all believe that all fishes have a true nature skill to swim and since salmon is a kind of fish, then salmons swim. Even though, some fishes like mud-fish stay in the mud at times, they still swim.

Another example:

All Honda cars, after 1996 have VTEC engines.

Therefore, the next Honda car model will have a VTEC engine.

This argument is valid because the premise is true that all Honda cars that are made after 1996 have VTEC engines. But, the conclusion could be possibly true or false because we do not know if Honda will be putting a VTEC engine or a new type of engine on the next Honda car model which makes it a weak argument.