What are arguments that are relatively strong or weak called?
Asked by: Willis Feeney | Last update: December 14, 2025Score: 4.2/5 (24 votes)
We will say of inductive arguments that they are (relatively) strong or weak, depending on how probable their conclusions are in light of their premises. One inductive argument is stronger than another when its conclusion is more probable than the other, given their respective premises.
What type of argument is weak or strong?
A strong argument is an inductive argument that succeeds in having its conclusion be probably true, given the truth of the premises. A weak argument is an inductive argument that fails in having its conclusion be probably true, even given the truth of the premises.
What is strong and weak arguments practice?
A strong argument will always have 'why' in it. Weak argument: A weak argument is the one which is illogical, impractical and irrelevant. Also, extreme statements and examples are weak arguments. These may not be directly related to the question and the reasoning factor is weak.
What is a strong vs cogent argument?
Strength comes in degrees. The conclusion of one strong argument might be more probable than that of another. An cogent (inductive) argument is one that is both strong and has true premises. An uncogent (inductive) argument is either a weak argument or a strong argument with a false premise.
What is a deductive and inductive argument?
According to this alternative view, a deductive argument is one such that, if one accepts the truth of the premises, one cannot doubt the truth of the conclusion. By contrast, an inductive argument is one such that, if one accepts the truth of the premises, one can doubt the truth of the conclusion.
Deductive and Inductive Reasoning Flow Chart: Valid vs Invalid, Strong vs Weak, Sound vs Unsound
What is an example of a cogent argument?
Patrick was born in North America and Patrick wasn't born in Mexico. It's thus quite probable that Patrick was born in the USA. That is a cogent argument.
Which is called a deductive argument?
A deductive argument is a logic construct with two or more premises and a conclusion where if the premises are true then the conclusion must also be true. In philosophy, if the truth of the conclusion is fully established by the premises, then the argument is called valid.
Is it possible to have an argument that is strong and weak?
explanation: An argument cannot be both strong and weak. Either a set of premises will make a conclusion likely to be true or it will not. So, even though one argument can be stronger than another or weaker than another, a single argument will either be strong or else it will be weak.
What are the three types of reasoning?
Reasoning is the process of using existing knowledge to draw conclusions, make predictions, or construct explanations. Three methods of reasoning are the deductive, inductive, and abductive approaches.
What is an unsound argument?
If an argument is both valid and has all true premises, we will say that the argument is sound. An argument is unsound if it either has a false premise, or is invalid.
How to tell if a deductive argument is valid?
Judge the reasoning and not the content (true or false statements). Think hypothetically. Ask, "IF the premises are true, are we locked into the conclusion?" If yes, then the argument is valid. If no, then the argument is invalid.
What are four ways to argue effectively?
- Introduce the problem. Introduce the problem or issue at the center of your argument. ...
- Present your claim. ...
- Support your claim. ...
- Acknowledge the opposing side of the argument. ...
- Restate your claim.
What is an example of an inductive argument?
One example of an inductive argument would be reasoning that orange cats are friendly based on one's personal experience with orange cats. While it is consistently imaginable that an orange cat could be unfriendly, one is making a generalization about orange cats based on a limited sample.
What is the term for weak argument?
Logical fallacies make an argument weak by using mistaken beliefs/ideas, invalid arguments, illogical arguments, and/or deceptiveness.
What is the difference between cogent and valid?
We saw that a valid argument is one where the premises, if they were true, would guarantee the truth of the conclusion. And a cogent argument is one that is invalid, and the premises, if they were true, would make the conclusion likely to be true. Ill-formed arguments are ones that are neither valid nor cogent.
What is inductive generalization?
Inductive generalizations use observations about a sample to come to a conclusion about the population it came from. Inductive generalizations are also called induction by enumeration.
What are the four 4 types of reasoning?
Four types of reasoning will be our focus here: deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, abductive reasoning and reasoning by analogy. One way of distinguishing between these is by looking at how they use cases, rules, and results.
Did Sherlock Holmes use deductive or inductive reasoning?
Scientists use both inductive and deductive reasoning as part of the scientific method. Fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes are famously associated with methods of deduction (though that's often not what Holmes actually uses—more on that later).
What is an example of an abductive argument?
Abductive reasoning, or abduction, is making a probable conclusion from what you know. If you see an abandoned bowl of hot soup on the table, you can use abduction to conclude the owner of the soup is likely returning soon. Do you have to figure out what time you need to leave your house for an appointment?
What is a strong or weak argument?
Definition: A strong argument is a non-deductive argument that succeeds in providing probable, but not conclusive, logical support for its conclusion. A weak argument is a non-deductive argument that fails to provide probable support for its conclusion.
What is the synonym of argument?
altercation, bickering, brawl, clash, controversy, debate, disagreement, dispute, exchange, feud, quarrel, squabble.
What is a cogent argument?
(koʊdʒənt ) adjective. A cogent reason, argument, or example is strong and convincing.
What are 5 examples of induction?
- This cat is black. That cat is black. A third cat is black. ...
- This marble from the bag is black. That marble from the bag is black. ...
- Most universities and colleges in Utah ban alcohol from campus. Therefore most universities and colleges in the U.S. ban alcohol from campus.
What is another name for deductive reasoning?
Deductive reasoning is also called deductive logic or top-down reasoning. Deductive reasoning is often confused with inductive reasoning. However, in inductive reasoning, you draw conclusions by going from the specific to the general.
What makes an argument valid?
Valid: an argument is valid if and only if it is necessary that if all of the premises are true, then the conclusion is true; if all the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true; it is impossible that all the premises are true and the conclusion is false.