Readers ask: When is an argument valid?

What makes a strong and valid argument?

Definition: A strong argument is a non-deductive argument that succeeds in providing probable, but not conclusive, logical support for its conclusion. A weak argument is a non-deductive argument that fails to provide probable support for its conclusion.

Is it possible to prove that an argument is valid?

A sound argument must have a true conclusion. TRUE: If an argument is sound, then it is valid and has all true premises. Since it is valid, the argument is such that if all the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true. If a valid argument has a false conclusion, then at least one premise must be false.

What does it mean for an argument to be formally valid?

An argument is termed formally valid if it has structural self-consistency, i.e. if when the operands between premises are all true, the derived conclusion is always also true. In the third example, the initial premises cannot logically result in the conclusion and is therefore categorized as an invalid argument.

Are all arguments valid?

All valid arguments have all true premises and true conclusions. All sound arguments are valid arguments. If an argument is valid, then it must have at least one true premise. Every valid argument is a sound argument.

What are the 5 keys to winning an argument?

If it is so, here are 5 keys to winning an argument you’d love to know.

• Attack the basic assumption of your opponents. Once upon a time in ancient China, there was a great warrior.
• Know the facts.
• Stay on the point.
• Stay calm and be soft.
• Don’t attack or play dirty.
• Stay silent.

What could be the 3 words to describe a good argument?

Here are some adjectives for argument: nice knock-down, practical or logical, loud and lengthy, moral, legal and psychological, hour-long philosophical, new, fit, convincing, constitutional, skilful and impassioned, familiar playful, unassailable and thoroughly convincing, macho emotional, weighty negative, congenial

What is required to prove an argument?

An argument, more fully a premise–conclusion argument, is a two-part system composed of premises and conclusion. An argument is valid if and only if its conclusion is a consequence of its premises. To determine validity in non-obvious cases deductive reasoning is required.

Can a valid argument have all false premises but a true conclusion?

No, a valid argument cannot have all false premises and derive from them a true conclusion.

Is logic always right?

Logic is a very effective tool for persuading an audience about the accuracy of an argument. However, people are not always persuaded by logic. Sometimes audiences are not persuaded because they have used values or emotions instead of logic to reach conclusions.

What is validity and soundness of an argument?

A deductive argument is said to be valid if and only if it takes a form that makes it impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false. A deductive argument is sound if and only if it is both valid, and all of its premises are actually true.

What is a valid argument in critical thinking?

Validity is a most important concept in critical thinking. A valid argument is one where the conclusion follows logically from the premises. An argument is valid if and only if there is no logically possible situation in which the premises are true and the conclusion is false.

Can something be logical but not true?

In logic, an argument can be invalid even if its conclusion is true, and an argument can be valid even if its conclusion is false. All of the premises are true, and so is the conclusion, but it’s not a valid argument.

Can valid arguments have false premises?

A valid argument can have false premises; and it can have a false conclusion. But if a valid argument has all true premises, then it must have a true conclusion. Since a sound argument is valid, it is such that if all the premises are true then the conclusion must be true.

Can a valid argument be unsound?

Arguments can be valid but still have one or more false premises. If an argument is both valid and has all true premises, we will say that the argument is sound. An argument is unsound if it either has a false premise, or is invalid.

Can a cogent argument have a false conclusion?

A cogent inductive argument doesn’t rule out even this combination—that is, it’s possible but unlikely that a cogent inductive argument has true premises and a false conclusion. For instance, if it turns out that Tweety is an ostrich, then the premises are true but the conclusion is false.