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Tables of Contents for Reason and Argument
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Preface
xiii
PART I CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS
1
112
Chapter 1 Introduction
1
23
I. ARGUMENTS
1
8
II. REASON, RHETORIC, AND ARGUMENT ANALYSIS
9
6
III. WAYS PEOPLE DEAL WITH ARGUMENTS
15
2
IV. IMPEDIMENTS TO GOOD REASONING
17
3
A. Lack of an Adequate Vocabulary
17
1
B. The Desire to Be Tolerant and Open-Minded
18
1
C. Misunderstanding the Point of Argument Analysis
19
1
D. Misconceptions about Truth and Rationality
19
1
E. The Use of Argument Stoppers
19
1
V. SUMMARY
20
1
Checklist of Key Terms
21
1
Chapter Exercises
21
3
Chapter 2 Truth and Rationality
24
31
I. USES OF LANGUAGE
24
2
II. TRUTH AND CORRESPONDENCE TO THE FACTS
26
7
A. The Basic Idea
26
1
B. A Mistaken Objection to the Correspondence Principle
27
1
C. Improving upon the Basic Idea
28
3
D. Some Consequences of the Revised Correspondence Principle
31
2
III. RATIONAL BELIEF
33
16
A. Belief, Disbelief, and Suspension of Judgment
33
3
B. Belief and Truth
36
1
C. Belief and Disagreement
36
3
D. Reasons for Belief
39
8
E. Rationality, Relativity, and Objectivity
47
2
IV. SUMMARY
49
2
Checklist of Key Terms
51
1
Chapter Exercises
52
3
Chapter 3 Well-Formed Arguments
55
39
I. ARGUMENT ANALYSIS
55
5
A. The Standard Form of Arguments
55
2
B. The Steps of Argument Analysis
57
1
C. Evaluating Arguments: An Introduction
57
3
II. WELL-FORMED ARGUMENTS
60
29
A. Validity
61
19
B. Cogency
80
9
III. VALIDITY, COGENCY, AND THE TRUTH VALUE OF PREMISES
89
1
IV. SUMMARY
90
2
Checklist of Key Terms
92
1
Chapter Exercises
92
2
Chapter 4 Strong Arguments
94
19
I. DEDUCTIVE STRENGTH
94
8
A. The Definition of Deductive Strength
94
2
B. Comments on the Definition of Deductive Strength
96
6
II. INDUCTIVE STRENGTH
102
6
A. The Definition of Inductive Strength
102
3
B. Comments on the Definition of Inductive Strength
105
3
III. SUMMARY
108
2
Checklist of Key Terms
110
1
Chapter Exercises
110
3
PART 2 THE METHOD OF ARGUMENT ANALYSIS
113
103
Chapter 5 Reconstructing Arguments
113
36
I. ARGUMENT RECONSTRUCTION AND THE PRINCIPLE OF CHARITY
113
2
II. DISTINGUISHING ARGUMENTS FROM NONARGUMENTS
115
7
III. IDENTIFYING PREMISES AND CONCLUSIONS
122
7
A. Identifying Conclusions
122
3
B. Identifying Premises
125
4
IV. GENERAL AND SPECIFIC PREMISES
129
3
V. ADDING IMPLICIT PREMISES
132
11
A. Implicit Premises That Are Not Generalizations
132
2
B. Implicit Premises That Are Generalizations
134
9
VI. CHEAP VALIDITY
143
3
VII. SUMMARY
146
1
Checklist of Key Terms
147
1
Chapter Exercises
147
2
Chapter 6 Details of Argument Reconstruction
149
18
I. IMPROPER WORDING
149
4
II. MISSING PREMISES
153
6
III. INCLUDING UNNECESSARY PREMISES
159
5
IV. SUMMARY
164
1
Checklist of Key Terms
165
1
Chapter Exercises
166
1
Chapter 7 Evaluating Arguments
167
49
I. BASIC RULES OF ARGUMENT EVALUATION
167
8
A. Don't Criticize an Argument by Denying Its Conclusion
167
2
B. Don't Accept an Argument Simply Because You Believe the Conclusion
169
1
C. Direct Criticisms at Individual Premises
169
1
D. Make Your Criticisms of Premises Substantial
170
2
E. Don't Accept Competing Arguments
172
1
F. Don't Object to Intermediate Conclusions of Compound Arguments
173
2
II. EVALUATING SPECIFIC TYPES OF PREMISES
175
14
A. Specific Factual Claims
175
1
B. Generalizations
176
2
C. Compound Sentences
178
11
III. ARGUMENT ANALYSIS AND PROBLEMS OF MEANING
189
22
A. Arguments and Meaning
189
6
B. Ambiguity and Arguments
195
6
C. Vagueness and Arguments
201
6
D. Arguments with Incomplete Premises
207
4
IV. SUMMARY
211
2
Checklist of Key Terms
213
1
Chapter Exercises
214
2
PART 3 APPLICATIONS
216
195
Chapter 8 Arguments and Testimony
216
16
I. THE ROLE OF TESTIMONY
216
2
II. TESTIMONIAL ARGUMENTS
218
7
A. The Standard Form for Testimonial Arguments
218
5
B. Evaluating the Premises of Testimonial Arguments
223
1
C. Determining Whether a Testimonial Argument is Defeated
224
1
III. PREMISES AND TESTIMONY
225
4
IV. SUMMARY
229
1
Checklist of Key Terms
230
1
Chapter Exercises
230
2
Chapter 9 Statistical Arguments and Predictions
232
45
I. PAST TO FUTURE ARGUMENTS
232
5
II. SIMPLE STATISTICAL STATEMENTS
237
3
III. THE STANDARD PATTERN FOR SURVEY ARGUMENTS
240
7
IV. EVALUATING SURVEY ARGUMENTS
247
11
A. Evaluating Sample Results
247
1
B. Evaluating the Accuracy Premises
247
3
C. Evaluating the Representativeness Premise
250
8
V. CORRELATIONS
258
11
A. Correlation Statements
258
5
B. Arguments for Correlations
263
6
VI. SUMMARY
269
2
Checklist of Key Terms
271
1
Chapter Exercises
272
5
Chapter 10 Causal Arguments
277
51
I. CAUSAL STATEMENTS
278
6
A. Explicitly Causal Statements and Implicitly Causal Statements
278
1
B. Singular and General Causal Statements
279
1
C. Events and Objects as Causes
279
1
D. Immediate and Distant Causes
280
1
E. Partial and Complete Causes
280
1
F. The Standard Form of General Causal Statements
281
1
G. Comparative Causal Claims
281
3
II. THE MEANING OF GENERAL CAUSAL STATEMENTS
284
4
III. KNOWLEDGE OF GENERAL CAUSAL STATEMENTS
288
6
A. Causation and Observation
288
1
B. Causation and Common Sense
289
1
C. Causation and Correlation
289
5
IV. ANALYZING CAUSAL ARGUMENTS
294
22
A. A Pattern for Causal Arguments
295
5
B. Scientific Studies and Causal Arguments
300
5
C. Reports of Scientific Studies
305
11
V. COMMON ERRORS IN CAUSAL REASONING
316
4
VI. SUMMARY
320
2
Checklist of Key Terms
322
1
Chapter Exercises
323
5
Chapter 11 Moral Arguments
328
49
I. MORAL PROPOSITIONS
329
7
A. Moral Issues
329
4
B. Incomplete Moral Sentences
333
1
C. Actions and Agents
333
3
II. MORALITY, RATIONALITY, AND TRUTH
336
8
A. Doubts about Moral Reasoning
336
6
B. Reasoning About Morality
342
2
III. ANALYZING MORAL ARGUMENTS
344
13
A. Harms and Benefits
344
1
B. Simple Moral Arguments
345
4
C. The Overall Value Principle
349
2
D. Overall Value Arguments
351
6
IV. COMMON PROBLEMS IN MORAL REASONING
357
9
A. Moral Inconsistency Arguments
357
3
B. Moral Principles
360
6
V. SUMMARY
366
2
Checklist of Key Terms
368
1
Chapter Exercises
368
9
Chapter 12 Extended Examples
377
34
I. THE ABORTION DEBATE
377
13
II. MATHEMATICAL REASONING ABILITY
390
7
Chapter Exercises
397
14
Appendix A The Steps of Argument Analysis
411
3
Appendix B Principles, Definitions, and Patterns of Argument
414
7
Appendix C Answers to Selected Exercises
421
26
Glossary
447
10
Index
457