Assignment: Logic homework

Logic homework
When we argue, we make claims about the world (these claims are called the conclusion of the argument) and provide reasons or evidence for those claims (these reasons are called the premises of the argument). Whenever one confronts an argument, the basic question is: are the reasons good? If they are good reasons, it is rational to believe the claim is true. If the reasons are bad, it is rational to withhold belief about the truth of the claim.

Homework problem: In 1-2 pages, tell me how you determine whether the reasons for a claim are good or bad. Be specific. Provide an example of an argument and use your technique to assess how good the reasons are.

If you don’t have an argument, here is a simple one to use:

Premise1: Jack went to the liquor store intending to buy a bottle of wine.

Premise2: Upon entering the store, Jack realized he had left his wallet at home.

Conclusion: The guests at Jack’s dinner party tonight will be awfully upset.

Assignment: Logic homework

Assignment: Logic homework

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

Assignment: Logic homework

Assignment: Logic homework