Logic
Logic and arguments
An argument is a set of claims (the premises) offered as reasons to believe or accept another claim (conclusion).
Example: 1. All musicians can read music. <- Premise 2. John is a musician. <- Premise 3. Therefore, John can read music. <- Conclusion
Standard form of an argument: * Place claims on separate lines. * Place conclusion at the bottom, separate from the premises.
Compare:\ Can John read music? Of course, he's a musician, isn't he?
Here the argument is made in a non-standard form. The conclusion is inferred and the premise is assumed. The argument makes sense only if we fill in the background premise (all musicians can read music). This could be a problem for a complex argument.
A claim (= statement = proposition) is a sentence that can only be true or false (principle of bivalence) but not both (principle of non-contradiction). The definition of the claim is important because:
- Not all sentenses are claims. For example, questions and imperatives are not claims.
- It lets the arguer and the audience to have a shared understanding of the meaning of the sentence. Too vague or ambiguous sentenses can't function as a claim in an argument.