Argument (What)

In CT, an argument is a conclusion plus one or more statements, called premises, that justify why this conclusion should be accepted.

Here is a breakdown of the main ideas:

Conclusion:
A conclusion is the decision made by the arguer. A conclusion is often called a claim. It also has many other names: belief, assertion, findings, opinion, point-of-view, answer, recommendation, and so forth.

Arguer:
In CT, the arguer is the actor (person or group) who reaches a conclusion; that is, an arguer is the decision maker

Premise:
A fact that an arguer assumes to be true and then uses to prove or justify a conclusion.

In CT, arguments do not refer to heated exchanges or debates between people.

Examples of Arguments

• Issue: What is the healthiest diet?
  

• Conclusion: Eat unprocessed foods, mostly plants.
  

• Premise: This is what credible sources say; see Michael Greger for example.

• Issue: Where should we vacation this summer?
  

• Claim: Maui, Hawaii
  

• Reasoning: Beautiful. Good snorkeling. Lots to do. Tropical.

• Claim (Pythagorean Theorem): For a right triangle, c² = a² + b².
  

• Reasoning: See math books that present the proof.

• Claim: The defendant is guilty
  

• Reasoning: DNA evidence. Lack of alibi. Motive. Eyewitness testimony.

Rationale

Here are some reasons why being skilled with arguments is worthwhile.

1. When you can make high-quality arguments:
   1. You learn things.
   2. You change your own point of view many times.
      1. You are not dogmatic or stuck with false beliefs.
   3. You have confidence in your findings.
   4. You can effectively communicate with others.
      1. They understand why you have reached a conclusion.
   5. You eliminate many mistakes.
   6. You are more persuasive.
   7. You gain an accurate view of reality.
2. You can assess the quality of arguments made by others:
   1. You will accept conclusions that are justified.
   2. You will reject conclusions that are not justified.
      1. You will not get manipulated, conned, or fooled.
      2. You will not believe factually incorrect information.

Arguments (How To Make)

Repetitions: While the quality of your argument is improving take the following actions.

1. Issue: Summarize the question or concern in a simple question called the key question
2. Research: As appropriate, find good information that aligns with the issue.
3. Logic: Select the most appropriate way to arrange your premises to justify your conclusion.
4. Argument:
   1. State the issue.
   2. State your conclusion.
   3. List the reasons (facts) that justify your conclusion to yourself and others.
5. Assessment: Gauge the quality of your argument.
   1. If the quality is high enough for you context, stop.
   2. Otherwise, loop back to previous steps.

Making Arguments in the Real World

Textbook Problems

CT can be applied to most problems in textbooks. The rationale is that this will improve your learning and also help you grow your CT skills.

• Claim: This is your answer to the problem posed.
• Reasoning: This is where you lay out the reasons why anyone should accept your answer.