PHIL 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Windsor Star
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
PHIL 1200
Argument indicator words
-Premise indicators
-Because
-Since
-Given that
-Conclusion indicators
-So
-Therefore
-It follows that
As critical thinkers, our aim in general is to determine whether there’s good evidence for what people
(including we ourselves) say, propose, and do.
-Good evidence for a claim is evidence that gives us good reason to think that the claim is true, or
correct.
-Arguments aim to provide good evidence, in their premises, for thinking that their conclusions are true.
You don’t have to have an opinion about everything.
-Rushing to judgement can have serious negative unintended consequences, and can lead us
away from a correct view of a situation.
-No shame in admitting we don’t know what to believe, when there is no good evidence
available.
Watch for bias, vested interests, distortions in the arguments of others. Watch for them in constructing
your own arguments.
Vested interests: author works for windsor star
Arguer: editor of windsor star
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Audience: citizens of windsor and surrounding area
Opponents: critics of the windsor star who believe that there is a conflict of interest
ALSO note that we should not rest content simply with the word of the editor that the paper has no
conflict of interest!!!
Burden of proof
-legal concept
-can apply it in everyday, non-legal argumentation
When a claim is put forward, does it need to be supported by an argument?
Whose job is it to argue: the one making the claim, or the one challenging it?
Once an argument is made, we can ask the same question about its premises.
Once an argument is put forward the question of the burden of proof applies to the premises: does the
arguer need to defend them, or does the challenger need to argue against them?
Burden of proof will vary, depending on what the claim is and on the context.
“Proof” is perhaps too strong a term. “Burden to give reasons in support” is maybe better but awkward.
Anyway the term that people use is “burden of proof”.
Burden of proof can itself be the subject of argument.
Why care about the concept of burden of proof? Because argument needs to stop somewhere.
Section 2: Strong Arguments
Condition 1: Premise Acceptability
-rational for the audience to accept.
-Sometimes rationally acceptable premises turn out to be false, in the end. And sometimes
rationally unacceptable premises turn out to be true. All we can do is accept the ones we have a good
reason to think are true.
Condition 2: Logical Consequence
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
As critical thinkers, our aim in general is to determine whether there"s good evidence for what people (including we ourselves) say, propose, and do. Good evidence for a claim is evidence that gives us good reason to think that the claim is true, or correct. Arguments aim to provide good evidence, in their premises, for thinking that their conclusions are true. You don"t have to have an opinion about everything. Rushing to judgement can have serious negative unintended consequences, and can lead us away from a correct view of a situation. No shame in admitting we don"t know what to believe, when there is no good evidence available. Watch for bias, vested interests, distortions in the arguments of others. Watch for them in constructing your own arguments. Opponents: critics of the windsor star who believe that there is a conflict of interest.
