PHI 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Modus Tollens, Modus Ponens, Deductive Reasoning

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHI 1101
• Professor: Mark Brown

Document Summary

Lecture #4: deductive arguments valid + invalid proofs. An argument intended to provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion. A deductive argument is intended to provide conclusive support for its conclusion. The structure of some arguments is deductive. When arguments structured this way are good, they guarantee their conclusion. If you drove through town, you drove right past my house. So, you must have driven right past my house. In each case, if the premises offered really are true, then the conclusion must also be true, and we can therefore describe that argument as being valid. Accordingly, if an argument has a combination of false premises and a false conclusion, it is still valid. Every province west of ontario is famous for harvesting lobster. Thus, new brunswick is famous for harvesting lobster. This argument has a combination of false premises and a true conclusion. If you"re reading this statement, you are alive.