Reason & Argument
Lecture 1
Lecture 1 Synopsis
• Course Admin
• Why is it important to Reason and Argue?
• Some Key Concepts
(1) Course Admin
Course Webpage:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/philosophy/modules/reason.html
Meetings:
Lecture: here & now! Except Week 7 (Writing
Week)
Tutorials: beginning week 3. Sign-up in the
department of philosophy - Arts Tower, 12th Floor
on 10th of October.
(1) Course Admin
Course Text:
McKay, Thomas (2000) Reasons, Explanations
and Decisions: Guidelines for Critical Thinking,
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Info Commons: 160 (M), Western Bank 140 (M)
or 160 (M)
Or buy from Blackwell’s (Mappin Street) for
£25.99 (that’s £2.16, or less than a pint a week)
(1) Course Admin
Assessment:
One course-work assignment (50%)
Deadline: 4th of December (Week 10)
One exam (50%)
January (between 21st Jan & 9th Feb)
(2) Why Reason & Argue?
Reasoning & Arguing = Critical thinking = the
ability to appraise whether a given statement
should be accepted for a stated range of
reasons.
Examples:
You ought to work very hard in PHI205,
because it is important to be able to think
critically.
(2) Why Reason & Argue?
Three reasons why it is important to be able to
think critically.
• Because of all the decisions we have to make
in our everyday lives:
Which university should I attend?
What career should I pursue?
Should I party this evening or do some work?
Which party should I vote for? (Should I bother?)
(2) Why Reason & Argue?
• Because it’s a really useful transferable skill!
Journalists evaluate sources
Politicians construct and argue for policies
Lawyers make legal arguments in court
Doctors diagnose patients, etc.
(2) Why Reason & Argue?
3. Because it helps us to communicate with each
other.
I may like you better if I can understand your reasons for
thinking and doing the things you do...
...and if you can understand mine.
And if we don’t get along, the ability to think critically may
become even more important as a means to resolve
conflict.
(3) Some Key Concepts
Argument = a statement, along with some
supposed reasons for accepting the
statement.
Two components of an argument:
An argument’s conclusion = the statement for
which reasons have supposedly been presented.
An argument’s premises = the claims which are
supposed to be reasons for accepting the
argument’s conclusion.
(3) Some Key Concepts
Two arguments:
•
My Mum is better than your Dad, because she’s mine and he’s
yours.
•
Jack is very unreliable: he never cooks dinner or pays his rent
when he says he will.
Two more arguments:
•
The big bad wolf has got a nasty habit of devouring children. So
my daughter had better keep away from him.
•
A good education is a pleasant route to wisdom. Hence one who
would be wise would do well to study the reasons of things.
(3) Some Key Concepts
One point illustrated by some of those
arguments is:
The order in which the parts of an argument
are presented doesn’t necessarily indicate
what the argument’s parts are —
conclusions may be presented before
premises.
(3) Some Key Concepts
Conclusion ‘indicators’
So...
Hence...
Thus...
Therefore...
It follows that...
(3) Some Key Concepts
Be careful! These terms have other uses
(indicating temporal & causal connections):
You dropped it, hence it smashed..
He shouted ‘Help!’ so that everyone would
look at him.
(3) Some Key Concepts
And (just to make things more difficult) not all
arguments feature these indicators:
The Prime Minister is very unpopular, and
his party has not used its legislative majority
effectively. The opposition will make
significant gains in the next election.
(3) Some Key Concepts
Example:
‘So’ & ‘Hence’: Conclusion indicators or not?
Jeremy has a fancy new motorbike. So what?
TIME magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ for 1938 was
Adolf Hitler. Hence their criteria must have been
somewhat peculiar.
I’ve got a right to my opinion. So has Nicholas
Parsons.
(3) Some Key Concepts
Premise ‘indicators’
For...
Since...
Because...
Due to the fact that...
(3) Some Key Concepts
‘Because’ & ‘Since’: Premise indicator or not?
Since Tuesday he has not studied.
He must have passed the module, because he told
me he did and he always tells the truth.
Since I arrived in Sheffield, my legs have got
stronger.
Exercise 1A
In each case, decide whether it is an
argument, and if so, what are its premises and
conclusion:
• Flutes must use reeds, because all
woodwind instruments use reeds, and flutes
are woodwind instruments.
• No brass instruments use reeds, and flutes
don’t use reeds, so flutes must be brass
instruments.
Exercise 1A
• After a hard day of rehearsals, John loves to
sit in a quiet meadow where he can hear only
the birds.
• Since last summer, when he hitched around
Europe playing music on the street, he takes
his flute everywhere.
Exercise 1A
• Since a clarinet requires reeds, it must not be
a brass instrument.
• Betty will be angry unless someone else
brings the music stands. But if Ann doesn’t
bring them, no one will. So either Ann will
bring the music stands or Betty will be angry.
Exercise 1A
• Carl was angry because he had no music
stand.
• When I hear you play like that, it makes me so
angry that I want to smash your flute and
break your jaw.
Exercise 1A
• Hector hates jazz, so he shouldn’t play jazz.
• If Hector hates jazz, then he shouldn’t play it.
• Hector hates jazz. Because of this, he didn’t
play with our group.
What You Have Learned
Today
• Course Admin
• Why is it important to Reason and Argue?
Decision Making
Transferable skill
Communication
• Some Key Concepts
Arguments
Premises
Conclusions