Strategies for decision making 2
The Nature of Arguments Critical thinking makes use of arguments. In this week’s lesson, you gained an overview of what arguments are and what it means for something to be a good or bad argument. In your week one assignment, you will be writing a five-paragraph essay in which you explain and illustrate the nature of the critical thinking process. Paragraph one should answer the following questions: · · · What is an argument? What are some indicators of an argument? What is an example of an argument? Your example does not have to be detailed. It can be a single sentence or two. It can be informal – there’s no need to make a premise-by-premise argument. Make sure your argument contains a rational inference, otherwise it isn’t an argument. Paragraph two should explain the meaning of cogent reasoning. In this paragraph, be sure to reference the three criteria for cogent reasoning. Paragraph three should explain the difference between deductive valid and inductively strong arguments. Paragraph four should explain the role of background beliefs, worldviews, and philosophies to the critical thinking process. Be sure to give examples of what some background beliefs might be. Finally, in paragraph five, write about a time in which you used a rational argument to persuade someone. What was the argument about? What evidence did you utilize in order to make your case? Your completed assignment should be written primarily in first person and should be 500 words in length. If you use sources in your writing, be sure to identify them. If you use any direct language from a source, be sure to place those words in quotation marks. Your assignment should adhere to the stated page length requirement for the week and use APA style formatting including a title page and reference section. APA resources and a template are available in the Supplemental Materials folder. Constructing Deductive and Inductive Arguments Arguments consist of premises and conclusions. Premises are structured so as to lend support to conclusions. The kind of support that a premise lends to a conclusion allows us to distinguish between deductive and inductive arguments. This week, you will be constructing both kinds of arguments. 1. In three premises each, construct one example of each following deductive argument form: · Modus ponens · Modus tollens · Hypothetical syllogism · Disjunctive syllogism Make sure your arguments are deductively valid and that your examples are your own. Here are two examples of the general format that your arguments should take: Modus ponens: 1. 2. 3. If it is raining, then it is pouring. It is raining. Therefore, it is pouring. Modus tollens: 1. 2. 3. If Jack went to the grocery store, then he bought cookies. Jack did not buy cookies. Therefore, Jack did not go to the grocery store. 2. After you construct the preceding deductive argument forms, construct a three premise syllogism. For example: 1. All men are mortal. 2. Socrates is a man. 3. Therefore, Socrates is mortal. 3. After you construct a three premise syllogism, construct one of each of the following inductive argument patterns: · Induction by enumeration · Reasoning by analogy · Statistical induction · Higher-level induction Your examples of inductive argument patterns should not be expressed in premise form. Rather, they should be informally expressed in writing. You should have one paragraph for each pattern. Be as detailed as possible. Finally, please remember to label your arguments. This makes it easier for them to be graded. Include your name, course section, and the date at the top of your assignment document. 1000 WORDS The Hierarchy of Value The most basic moral obligation that we have is to pursue what is good and avoid what is evil. But what counts as “good” and “evil”? How do we rank the various things that are good or evil? Friendship is a good thing, but is more important than (say) honesty? Cheating is generally a bad thing, but is it worse than (say) hypocrisy? This assignment will require a bit of thinking. You will attempt to rank moral values and vices on a hierarchy. • • • Begin by listing the top five moral values or obligations that you think are definitive of a life well-lived. For each value or obligation, give a (minimum) one-paragraph description of what it is and why you have ranked it that way. You should not simply give a list – you should explain and justify the hierarchy you have put together. Make sure you organize them by order of importance. If you’re not quite confident in your ranking, give it your best attempt. You will then do the same thing for moral vices. • • • In order of heinousness, list five vices that you consider to be among the worst. Make sure that you include at least a one-paragraph description of each vice along with an explanation of why you have ranked that vice in the way you did. Make sure that you are specific. Do not simply say “be good” or “avoid harming people” – you should be referencing specific virtues or vices. The goal of this assignment is to organize your thoughts on morality. Not all good things are equally good, and not all bad things are equally bad. We often prioritize certain things when making moral decisions, so it is good to develop a framework for a hierarchy of virtues and vices. As a tip, you might look at some of the lists of virtues and vices that have been assembled by philosophers and theologians throughout history. Two examples are the four cardinal virtues and Dante’s seven deadly vices. But avoid copying them – this assignment should be your own work and reflect your own thinking. 1000 Words
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