Deck 2: What Are Arguments, and How Should We Evaluate Them?

Question 1

A philosophical argument refers to a(n)

A) dispute with someone of a different opinion.
B) attempt to justify a conclusion by rational means.
C) debate where winning is most important.
D) quarrel about right and wrong.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Premises are

A) statements that someone assumes while making her case for the conclusion.
B) the starting points of an argument.
C) certain truths all persons know.
D) All of the above
E) a and b

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following words often marks the conclusion of a philosophical argument?

A) Because
B) Therefore
C) Everyone knows
D) However

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following words often indicates a premise of a philosophical argument?

A) Because
B) Therefore
C) Everyone knows
D) However

Question 5

When evaluating an argument, it is important consider the following question(s):

A) Are the premises of the argument interesting?
B) To what extent do the premises support the conclusion?
C) Who made the argument?
D) All of the above

Question 6

A bad argument has a true conclusion.

A) Always
B) Sometimes
C) Never

Question 7

A deductively valid argument is one in which

A) the premises are true.
B) the conclusion is true.
C) Both a and b
D) if the premises are true, conclusion is necessarily true.

Question 8

An argument is sound if it is

A) valid and has true premises.
B) valid and has a true conclusion.
C) invalid but has true premises.
D) invalid but has a true conclusion.

Question 9

Enumerative induction proceeds by

A) enumerating all the instances of a group to prove something about that group.
B) identifying a pattern in a sample and extending that pattern to other cases.
C) assuming certain premises to prove some conclusion.
D) rejecting certain premises to disprove some conclusion.

Question 10

An abductive argument is one in which one starts with

A) a number of observations and one puts forward an explanation for them that is better than any available alternative explanations.
B) true premises and draws the conclusion that follows from them.
C) a true conclusion and determines which premises would be needed to deduce it.
D) All of the above

Question 11

What sort or argument is the following?
There is a used bowl, an open carton of milk, and an open box of cereal on the kitchen table. Therefore, my roommate overslept.

A) Deductive
B) Rhetorical
C) Abductive
D) Fallacious

Question 12

Many philosophers believe that scientific theories are commonly supported by which sort of argument?

A) Deductive
B) Rhetorical
C) Abductive
D) Fallacious

Question 13

Which of the following is a multistep argument?

A) (1) All frogs are amphibians. (Premise)
(2) Fernando is a frog. (Premise)
(3) Fernando is an amphibian. (Conclusion)
B) (1) All frogs are amphibians. (Premise)
(2) Fernando is a frog. (Premise)
(3) Fernando is an amphibian. (Conclusion from 1, 2)
(4) All amphibians are invertebrates. (Premise)
(5) Fernando is an invertebrate. (Conclusion from 3, 4)
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 14

Compatibilists believe that

A) determinism is compatible with free will.
B) normative ethics is compatible with democracy.
C) normative ethics is compatible with atheism.
D) logic is compatible with the Bible.

Question 15

The conclusion of an argument is

A) a rationally justified assertion.
B) the final words of an argument.
C) a necessarily true assertion.
D) one's particular opinion on an issue.

Question 16

In what sort of argument does the truth of the premises of an argument guarantee the truth of the conclusion?

A) A deductively valid argument
B) An inductively valid argument
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 17

Which theory claims that the laws of physics fix the whole of the rest of history?

A) Indeterminism
B) Determinism
C) Hedonism
D) Physicalism

Question 18

Inference to the best explanation is also called

A) abduction.
B) deduction.
C) explanationism.
D) reduction.

Question 19

The assertions taken for granted in an argument are called

A) conclusions.
B) premises.
C) deductions.
D) knowledge.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a legitimate form of argument?

A) Abduction
B) Deduction
C) Induction
D) Reduction

Question 21

Explain what a formal argument is, including both its parts and their relation to each other.

Question 22

Explain the difference(s) between deductive, inductive, and abductive arguments.