Define and explain each item on the outline. I look for specific answers that reflect the readings.

Chapter I: The Power of Critical Thinking.

Explain/define the following: Statements and claims

Statements: Statements refers to a type of sentence that can be either true or false. Statements are used to expresses arguments’ conclusions and premises. 

Claims: refers to the statements that express what is true or false or what should be believed or done. Commonly, claims are logic texts which are used like statements.

Proposition. A proposition refers to an argument conclusion made of true or false sentences, that is, commands, questions, and exclamations. Therefore, statements, claims, and propositions can be used interchangeably.

Disagreements: Explain/Define the following

Factual Disagreement. In factual disagreement, individuals differ on whether something is not or is the case. In other words, the parties differ about the facts, matters that can be verified.

Interpretive Disagreement: In interpretive disagreement, individuals differ about causes that result in an inevitable fact that all may agree on. This means they may agree on the facts but disagree on what causes those facts. Therefore, people differ about how actions, events, speeches, and stories should be construed.

Explain/Define the following

Necessary truth: A necessary truth refers to a proposition that could possibly not be true. It is an accounted true belief that is equivalent to knowledge. For instance, 2+1 = 3.

Contingent truth: Refers to a proposition that is not necessarily false or true. In other words, contingent truth is a true proposition with the possibility of being false. For example, man evolved from apes.

Contradictions: A contradiction is a compound claim in which one simultaneously claims a proposition is false and true.

In arguments: Reasons (premises); Conclusion

A premise refers to a statement that supports a conclusion in the argument. On the other hand, a conclusion refers to a statement that indicates what an individual was trying to convince others in an argument.

Define an argument in logic and critical thinking

In critical thinking and logic, an argument refers to sets of statements that include premises and conclusions. Therefore, arguments consist of statements, premise (s), and a conclusion structured to prove a given claim.

List some conclusion and premise indicator words:

Premise: Supposing that, given that, since, because, assuming that

Conclusion: Thus, hence, therefore, consequently.

How do premises and conclusions relate to each other by way of the term inference?

A conclusion is supported by premise (s). Premises try to provide statements that support the conclusion.

READ: How to Detect an Argument:

Define at least two conditions that must be fulfilled for a passage to be an argument by way of the above NOTE.

1) Should have at one premise claiming to present true reasoning

2) Should have a conclusion of the reasoning or evidence presented

List and explain these non-argumentative passages

Explanations: Explanandum, and Explanans

An explanandum refers to a proposition that is constructed to describe a thing that needs to be explained. It is a sentence that describes a phenomenon that needs to be explained. On the other hand, explanans refers to the set of propositions that now explains the phenomenon.  For instance, one may express explanandum by asking, “why is that place so noisy?”, then another provides an answer (which is an explanans), “because there is a football match.”

List at least two types of explanations and describe them

An explanation refers to the set of developed statements to support and explain a set of facts, expounding on those facts’ context, causes, and consequences. In other words, an explanation is a rationale that presents reasons why some facts are represented in conclusion. Types of explanations include theoretical and sequential explanations. Theoretical explanations refer to statements that detail all possible phenomena that explain processes that have not been fully understood—for instance, an explanation to why the Nazi lost in World War II. Sequential explains refers to the set of statements that describe an event by stating all their steps—for instance, an explanation of how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. 

Conditional Statements; list the parts by name

Conditional statements consist of two parts, namely, hypothesis (if) and conclusion (then). For instance, if this month is June, then next month will July.