Check for Understanding: Major and Minor Claims

In the two examples below please identify the major claim and the minor claim.

Claim A

1. If it is raining, then the ground is wet.

2. It is raining.
3. Therefore, the ground is wet.

Now, consider a second argument.

Claim B

1. If it is raining, then the ground is wet.

2. The ground is wet.
3. Therefore, it is raining.

Bonus: Claim B is not a good claim, can you example why?

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Check for Understanding: Major and Minor Claims

In the two examples below please identify the major claim and the minor claim.

Claim A

1. If it is raining, then the ground is wet. MAJOR

2. It is raining. MINOR
3. Therefore, the ground is wet.

Now, consider a second argument.

Claim B

1. If it is raining, then the ground is wet. MAJOR

2. The ground is wet. MINOR
3. Therefore, it is raining.

Bonus: Claim B is not a good claim, can you example why?

At first glance, one may be tempted to believe that this argument shows
good reasoning as well. Since we have already established the truth-value of
the first premise, and since we will assume that somewhere the ground is, in
fact, wet, let us consider the relationship between the premises and the
conclusion. This argument is invalid: the truth of the premises does not give
us grounds to accept the conclusion as true. There are reasons other than
rain that the ground could be wet: the sprinkler system could be on, for
instance.

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