Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Strong versus Valid Arguments

When talking about valid arguments, as long as the original premise is true, then the conclusion that can be drawn form that premise should also be true. An easy way to remember this to me is through some simple math equations. As long as A=B, and B=C, then A=C. Though this is just with letters and not with actual statements, I believe it still helps in determining whether or not an argument is valid or not. An example for this is that "Students must pass Calculus AB to take the AP Calculus test". I could say that "I took the AP Calculus test yesterday". Therefore, "I must have passed Calculus AB". Because it is stated that I took the AP test, that agrees with the fact that I had to have passed Calculus AB, which is a true conclusion.
On the other hand, strong arguments, though with similar premises, have false conclusions that are usually drawn front the original statement. Though the argument in itself may seem to have strong points or facts to back itself, the conclusion can still be false. One example is to say "Teens must be at least 16 years of age to receive their drivers license". If I were to say "My friend Jordan just had his 17th birthday last week", a false conclusion would be to say "Then Jordan must have his drivers license". Just because Jordan is old enough to have his license does not necessarily mean he does.

1 comment:

  1. The way you explained valid arguments and strong arguments are very clear and most certainly helpful. I especially liked the formula you came up with to break down the points of a valid argument. The formula helped very well and made me get an even better understanding of it. Simple formulas like that usually help bring a better understanding for something somewhat complex for me so thank you! Also, your example of the driver’s license was an excellent one. It fit to be a strong argument and was relatable. It was all very clear and to the point which was great!

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