In a valid argument, the premises are all true so the conclusion also has to be true. In other words, since the premises are true, it’s impossible for the conclusion not to be true.
Example of valid argument:
A.)Mark is lactose intolerant. (premise)
B.) Therefore, Mark will get a stomachache from consuming dairy products (conclusion)
In this example, the premise of Mark being lactose intolerant is true so that means he can’t consume any dairy products at all, otherwise he will develop a stomachache.
In a strong argument, the premises could be true and the conclusion could be false.
Example of a strong argument:
A.) Mary was seen kissing a guy’s cheek (premise)
B.) Mary went to the movies with that guy (premise)
C.) So Mary has a boyfriend. (conclusion)
In this example, the premises could be true but the conclusion may be false. The guy she was seen with could’ve been her brother or a close friend. She was only seen kissing the guy on the “cheek”; that doesn’t mean the guy could be her boyfriend. Siblings can also share intimate kisses on the cheek. Also, the premise of her going to the movies with him doesn’t prove anything at all. Maybe Mary’s girlfriends were all busy and the guy was free so Mary decided to invite him to the movies. Therefore, the conclusion of Mary having a boyfriend may be false.
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I like your choice of examples and the way you presented each of them. First of all, not only were the valid arguments and strong arguments accurate, but your examples for each were both really straightforward. I was thinking at first that a premise for Mark would be that all those that are lactose intolerant get stomachaches after consuming dairy, but I guess that one is a given! To simply put it, reading this whole blog post was pretty much like reading the examples from the book. They helped me better understand and retain the blatant difference between strong and valid arguments.
ReplyDeleteI don't see too many siblings intimately kissing on the cheeks lol. Haha maybe in Europe! I kid, I kid. Your reasoning makes since though. It's certainly not clear she has a boyfriend, but it is a strong argument that they're probably dating since she was seen kissing him and going to the movies with him. Your valid argument was an easy one to follow. Mark can't be lactose intolerant if he doesn't get stomachaches from dairy products. Like if I hadn't read the textbook previously, I would have learned something. ;) I liked your examples, and I thought you explained the topic very well. Clear and precise :)
ReplyDelete-Manda756