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Homework answers / question archive / Return to your Module 2 lecture and discuss how you responded to the Explanations Exercise Examples by way of the lecture
Return to your Module 2 lecture and discuss how you responded to the Explanations Exercise Examples by way of the lecture. Tell us how you answered each and your reasoning in doing so. The exercise is attached, and also in Files. Respond to the five items and number them. Respond to two classmates.
Student 1
gives everyone a voice in decisions.”
I answered them this way because I was thinking of explanans explain the result and explanans being the start of the topic of the claim.
Student 2
Exercise: Explanations
- This is an explanation. Explanandum is "The mixture exploded." Explanans is "because it became too hot."
- This passage is an explanation. Explanandum; "Arthur is disturbed." Explanans; "because of the events that happened during his childhood."
- This is an argument.
- This is an Explanans "It has been five years since he carried a gun."
- This is an argument.
Grossmont College Philosophy 125 Professor: L. Parello NAME________________- Explanations: Exercise I. An argument establishes that something is the case. It uses evidence or reasons to prove a conclusion. An argument is a group of statements in which some of the statements are intended to support another statement. II. An explanation gives an account of why something is the case III. The difference between an argument and an explanation is one of interest, purpose, and intent. • Directions: In the following examples, determine whether the passage is an argument or an explanation, then, if it is an explanation, determine which is the “explanandum” and which is the “explanans.” 1. “The mixture exploded because it became too hot.” 2. “Arthur is disturbed because of the events that happened during his childhood.” 3. “It should be considered armed robbery since he carried a gun.” 4. “It has been five years since he carried a gun.” 5. “Democracy is the best form of government because it involves majority rule and gives everyone a voice in decisions.” Citation: I.M. Copi, An Introduction to Logic, 10th ed.
Directions: In the following examples, determine whether the passage is an argument or an explanation, then, if it is an explanation, determine which is the “explanandum” and which is the “explanans.”
An argument refers to a set of statements that support another statement, while an explanation accounts for why something is the case (Curtis, 2018). In other words, an argument provides evidence for a claim, while an explanation provides evidence for a fact.
This is an example of an explanation. The explanation provides reasons which support the cause, context, and consequences of the fact. “The mixture exploded” is the fact that everyone can agree on. Further, “it became too hot” explains the cause which led to the fact represented in conclusion. However, “The mixture exploded” is the explanandum (it gives a proposition that describes a thing that needs to be explained), and “because it became too hot” is the explanans (it explains the phenomenon).
This is an argument. The speaker presents a claim that Arthur is disturbed. This can be the case or not. The speaker further provides evidence as to why he/she made a claim by arguing that what happened in Arthur’s childhood is what made him disturbed. Also, the reason Arthur is disturbed be not be connected with his childhood; hence this example is an argument.
It is an argument. This is because the statement presents the evidence required to conclude the claim. The claim is that “it should be considered armed robbery.” This claim requires a piece of evidence to be supported. “Since he carried a gun” presents the necessary premise to support the claim.
This is an explanation. “It has been five years” is a fact, not a claim. This is because the support given expresses the thing to be true. Further, “It has been five years” is the explanandum (describe a thing that needs to be explained), and “since he carried a gun” is the explanans (explains the phenomenon).
This is an argument. The statement establishes that democracy is the best form of government. In other words, this “Democracy is the best form of government” is a form of a claim that is supported by evidence to be concluded. Claims are statements that can either be true or false, and democracy can be or not the best form of government.
Response
Student: 1
gives everyone a voice in decisions.”
I answered them this way because I was thinking of explanans explain the result and explanans being the start of the topic of the claim.
Response Student 1
Thanks for your post. I love your thinking when responding to the examples given. However, I think some of the statements were not explanations but an argument. For instance, “It should be considered an armed robbery since he carried a gun”, is an argument since it gives a claim which can be true or false.
Student: 2
Exercise: Explanations
- This is an explanation. Explanandum is "The mixture exploded." Explanans is "because it became too hot."
- This passage is an explanation. Explanandum; "Arthur is disturbed." Explanans; "because of the events that happened during his childhood."
- This is an argument.
- This is an Explanans "It has been five years since he carried a gun."
- This is an argument.
Copi, I., & Cohen, C. (1998). Introduction to logic (10th ed., p. 714). Prentice-Hall.
Response Student 2
Thanks for your awesome post. However, I think it would be better if you gave your reasoning to your response. For example, “It has been five years since he carried a gun” is an explanation because it quotes five years which is a fact and not a claim.
