Hello and

Welcome to my
Philosophy class!
 CUENCA SENIOR HIGH SCHO
OL

ARGUMENTS
& FALLACIES
Teacher Loren's Class
Argument
- series of statements which provide reasons that
s convince a listener or a reader that an opinion is
truthful
 TypesofArguments
Arguments can reach their conclusions through either:
Deduction or Induction

They differ in two ways:

1. Structure
2. Strength of conclusions
 TypesofArguments
Deduction
(Deductive reasoning)
- Consists of using general principles to
infer specific propositions
 Examples
P1 Mr Lopez always wears black shoes
P2 Mr Lopez will be coming to work on Friday
C Mr Lopez will wear black shoes on Friday
 
 Conclusion of
deductive
arguments must be
true if the
premises are true
 
 INDUCTION
(Inductive reasoning)
- - Consists of using specific propositions to infer
general principles

 
 Examples
P1 Mr Lopez wore black shoes to work on Monday
P2 Mr Lopez wore black shoes to work on Tuesday
P3 Mr Lopez wore black shoes to work on Wednesday
P4 Mr Lopez wore black shoes to work on Thursday
C Therefore, Mr Lopez always wears black shoes to work

 
Conclusions are Inductive
only ever reasoning
probabilistic
never certain
 
 Example
s
Every time you eat peanuts, you start to cough.
You are allergic to peanuts.
 1. Structure
Deduction Moves from general to specific
Induction Moves from specific to general

2. Strength of conclusions
Deduction Conclusion is necessarily true if premises are
true
Induction Conclusion is only probabilistic
 Whichargumentsare
inductiveordeductive?
P1 The sun is shining today
P2 The sun shone yesterday
C The sun will shine tomorrow
P1 All human beings are mortal
P2 Jimmy is a human being
C Therefore,Jimmy is mortal
P1 Earl is a student at Cuenca
Senior High School
P2 Students at Cuenca Senior
High School are never late for
lessons
C Therefore, Earl is never late
for lessons
P1 The 10 postmen I have met
have had a beard
P2 Markus is a postman
C Therefore, Markus has a
beard
P1 99% of philosophy students
become rich
P2 Christian is a philosophy
student
C Therefore, Christian will
become rich
General principles often indicated
by words like All, Always, Never
etc.

Specific propositions often

indicated by words like some,
most ,%, often,usually
Write 5 examples of deductive and
inductive reasoning
Thank
You!
Do you have any questions fo r
me befor e we go?