Assessing Arguments: Look At The Arguments Below 782857

Assessing Arguments Look At The Arguments Below Are Th

Look at the arguments below. Are they valid? Are they sound? A.

P1. All dogs go to heaven. P2. Charlie is a dog. C. Charlie will go to heaven.

B. P1. If the moon is made of green cheese, then cows jump over it. P2. The moon is made of green cheese. C. Cows jump over the moon.

C. P1. If it’s raining, then the streets are wet. P2. The streets are wet. C. It’s raining.

D. P1. All apples are fruits. P2. Some fruits are red. C. Some apples are red.

E. P1. Thanksgiving is in November. C. Thanksgiving is in November.

2. Reconstructing arguments: Put these informal arguments in premise/conclusion form. Are they valid? Sound?

A. “You shouldn’t feed chocolate to the dog. Chocolate makes dogs sick.”

B. “Anyone who goes to Yale is a total jerk. I know because I met my roommate’s brother, who goes to Yale, and he is a total jerk.”

Paper For Above instruction

This essay aims to evaluate the validity and soundness of various arguments and reconstruct informal arguments into premise/conclusion form. Additionally, it explores opinions on Cultural Relativism and its objections. The assessment begins with analyzing logical arguments to determine their validity, which refers to whether the conclusion logically follows from the premises, irrespective of their truth. Soundness, which combines valid structure with true premises, is also examined. Reconstruction involves translating casual, informal reasoning into formal logical structures with explicit premises and conclusions. This process helps clarify the argument's logical structure and assess its strength.

The first set of arguments tests basic propositional logic, such as whether the conclusion logically follows from the premises. For example, in the argument about dogs going to heaven, the premises "All dogs go to heaven" and "Charlie is a dog" logically support the conclusion "Charlie will go to heaven," rendering it valid. The argument about the moon and green cheese also exemplifies a valid structure, where the antecedent condition ensures the consequent. Conversely, some arguments, like the one about streets being wet and raining, are invalid because the premises do not guarantee the conclusion, highlighting the importance of logical form.

Reconstructing informal arguments necessitates identifying hidden premises or assumptions. For example, the statement about not feeding chocolate to dogs implicates the hidden premise that "Anything that makes dogs sick should not be fed to them," which is essential for the argument's validity. Similarly, arguments about Yale students and their character contain implicit assumptions about the universality of personality traits, which must be explicitly stated for clarity and evaluation.

The critical role of validity and soundness extends to ethical and philosophical debates, such as Cultural Relativism. This moral theory posits that moral judgments are relative to societal norms, and what is right in one culture may be wrong in another. The argument supporting Cultural Relativism hinges on cultural differences, suggesting that moral truths are society-dependent. However, objections such as the implausible consequences (e.g., moral infallibility of societies), the failure to account for moral progress, and the potential for intolerance challenge its validity and plausibility. These objections underscore the necessity of a more nuanced approach to moral evaluation, considering both societal norms and universal moral principles.

In conclusion, understanding argument structure through validity and soundness enhances critical thinking and ethical analysis. Formal reconstruction of informal reasoning clarifies logical relationships and exposes implicit assumptions, ultimately contributing to more rigorous philosophical debates and moral evaluations.

References

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