WGU D265 Definitions

WGU D265 Definitions Leave the first rating Students also studied Terms in this set (56) Arts and HumanitiesPhilosophy Logic Save Deductive/Inductive Reasoning Teacher 35 terms MORRIS_LANDO Preview

D265 WGU Critical Thinking: Reason...

Teacher 223 terms makau-Preview HSRT PRACTICE - Terms & Definitio...Teacher 36 terms collyrazPreview Master Teacher kev PropositionA statement that can be true or false, like "The sun rises in the east," think of it as a "truth possibility." Example: "The Earth is flat" is a proposition, and it could be either true or false.Non-propositionA statement that isn't about truth or falsity, like questions or commands, think of it as "not about truth." Example: "What time is it?" is a non-proposition because it's a question.ArgumentIs like a debate; it's a set of statements aiming to support the conclusion.Example: In a debate, "Cats are great hunters (premise), and Fluffy is a cat (premise), so Fluffy must be a great hunter (conclusion)" is an argument.Non-argumentIs just a collection of statements, not trying to persuade, think of it as "statements hanging out." Example: A recipe listing ingredients and instructions isn't trying to persuade; it's a non-argument.PremiseIs like the building blocks of an argument; it's a statement used as evidence or support.Example: In a detective story, "The footprint matches the suspect's shoe (premise)" is evidence in an argument.

ConclusionIs like the verdict; it's the statement in an argument that's being argued for, think of it as "what we're trying to conclude."

Example: In a courtroom, "Based on the evidence, the defendant is guilty

(conclusion)" is what the argument aims to prove.Deductive ArgumentIs like a puzzle with precise steps; it's when the conclusion absolutely must be true if the premises are true.Example: "All men are mortal (premise); Socrates is a man (premise); therefore, Socrates is mortal (conclusion)" is a deductive argument, think of it as a "definite conclusion." Inductive Argumentis like a detective's hunch; it's when the conclusion is likely to be true based on evidence but not guaranteed.Example: "Every swan we've seen is white (premise); therefore, all swans are white (conclusion)" is an inductive argument, think of it as an "educated guess." ValidIs when the argument's structure is like a well-built bridge, ensuring that if premises are true, the conclusion must be true.

Example (Valid): All humans are mammals (premise); I am a human (premise); I am

a mammal (conclusion).InvalidIs when the structure is shaky, and the conclusion doesn't necessarily follow.

Example (Invalid): All mammals have feathers (premise); Penguins are mammals

(premise); Penguins have feathers (conclusion).SoundIs when an deductive argument is both valid (structurally solid) and has true premises.

Example (Sound): All birds can fly (premise); A penguin is a bird (premise);

Therefore, a penguin can fly (conclusion).UnsoundIs when an deductive argument is either invalid, has false premises, or both.

Example (Unsound): All fish can sing (premise); A shark is a fish (premise);

Therefore, a shark can sing (conclusion).StrongIs when an inductive argument provides strong evidence for its conclusion.

Example (Strong): 95% of observed days in July are sunny (premise); Tomorrow is

in July, so it's likely to be sunny (conclusion).WeakIs when an inductive argument provides weak or insufficient evidence.Example (Weak): 50% of observed days in July are sunny (premise); Tomorrow is in July, so it might be sunny, or it might not be (conclusion).

cogent argumentan inductive argument that is strong and has all true premises.

Example (Cogent): Studies show 90% of smokers develop health problems

(premise); John is a smoker (premise); Therefore, John is likely to have health problems (conclusion).UncogentAn inductive argument that is weak, has one or more false premises, fails to meet the total evidence requirement, or any combination of these.

Example (Uncogent): Studies show 90% of smokers develop health problems

(premise); Jane is a non-smoker (premise); Therefore, Jane is likely to have health problems (conclusion).informal fallacyIs like a sneaky trick in an argument; it's an error in reasoning that doesn't follow the rules of logic.Example: "I heard a black cat brings bad luck, so when I saw a black cat, I tripped and fell. It must be true!" — This is an informal fallacy called "post hoc" because it assumes causation without evidence.Formal FallacyIt's an error in the argument's structure, making it invalid.

Example: "All humans are animals (premise); All animals are made of cheese

(premise); Therefore, all humans are made of cheese (conclusion)" — This is a formal fallacy because the conclusion doesn't logically follow from the premises.AntecedentThe "if" part of a conditional statement.Example: In "If it rains, then I'll bring an umbrella," "It rains" is the antecedent.ConsequentThe "then" part of a conditional statement.Example: In "If it rains, then I'll bring an umbrella," "I'll bring an umbrella" is the consequent.Modus PonensIt's a valid argument form where if the antecedent is true, the consequent must be true.

A valid deductive argument form: If P, then Q. P is true, so Q is true.

Example: If "It is raining" (antecedent) and "I'll bring an umbrella" (consequent), then "I'll bring an umbrella" must be true.Modus TollensIt's another valid argument form where if the consequent is false, the antecedent must be false.

A valid deductive argument form: If P, then Q. Not Q is true, so not P is true.

Example: If "I didn't bring an umbrella" (not the consequent) and "It's not raining" (not the antecedent), then "It's not raining" must be true.

Affirming the ConsequentIs like making an incorrect "affirmation"; it's a fallacy where one mistakenly concludes that the antecedent is true because the consequent is true.

A formal fallacy: If P, then Q. Q is true, so P is true.

Example: "I didn't get wet (consequent), so it didn't rain (affirming the

consequent)" — This is a fallacy.Denying the Antecedent"Denying the 'A'"; it's a fallacy where one mistakenly concludes that the consequent is false because the antecedent is false.

A formal fallacy: If P, then Q. Not P is true, so not Q is true.

Example: "I didn't bring an umbrella (antecedent), so it must be raining (denying the antecedent)" — This is a fallacy.The Fallacy Fallacy"Falling for Fallacies"; it's a fallacy where one wrongly concludes that an argument is false just because it contains a fallacy.Example: "His argument had a logical fallacy, so everything he said must be wrong (the fallacy fallacy)" — This is a fallacy itself because some parts of an argument could still be valid or true even if a fallacy is present.Credibility of an Information SourceThe credibility of an information source is like assessing if a superhero is trustworthy; it's the measure of how believable and trustworthy the source is.Example: Imagine a superhero who has a long history of saving the day (credible) versus a new, untested hero (less credible).Reliability of an Information SourceThe reliability of an information source is like evaluating whether a car starts consistently; it's the measure of how consistently the source provides accurate and dependable information.Example: Think of a car that starts reliably every morning (reliable) compared to one that occasionally fails to start (less reliable).Cognitive BiasIs like having colored glasses that affect how you see the world; it's a systematic pattern of thinking that can lead to deviations from rational judgment.Example: Imagine wearing "rose-colored glasses" that make everything appear more positive than it actually is - this illustrates cognitive bias.Confirmation Biasis like seeking information that confirms what you already believe; it's the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that supports your preexisting beliefs.Example: If you're convinced your favorite team is the best, you may only notice news or statistics that make them look great while ignoring negative information.