RI Critical Thinking Unit B (Argument Reconstruction) 2023

UNIT B Argument Reconstruction

THE NEED FOR RECONSTRUCTION ▪ Recap: the goal of critical thinking is to assess and evaluate arguments ▪ i.e. explaining why an argument is a good/bad one ▪ In other words, do the premises successfully establish the conclusion? ▪ Need for argument reconstruction – the clear re- representation of arguments into premises and conclusions in standard form/ arrow diagrams

ARROW DIAGRAMS ▪ When presented in standard prose It will either rain or snow. If it rains, the match will be cancelled. Likewise, if it snows. So the match will be cancelled. ▪ When presented in an arrow diagram ▪ Now, we can see the potential weak points clearly: ▪ Are the premises true? ▪ Is the argument valid? (the arrow) ▪ Here, there are 4 possible weak points It will either rain or snow If it rains, the match will be cancelled If it snows, the match will be cancelled The match will be cancelled

WHICH IS CORRECT? ▪ It’s 4am. So it’s 8pm in London. We’re 8 hours ahead of London. OR It’s 4am We’re eight hours ahead of London It’s 8pm in London It’s 4am We’re eight hours ahead of London It’s 8pm in London It’s 8pm in London

TWO ARGUMENTS, NOT ONE ▪ Form alone does not make for a work of art since a work of art requires a history . If form alone made for a work of art, then a forgery would be a work of art. A work of art requires a history Form alone supplies no history (implicit) Form alone does not make for a work of art If form alone made for a work of art, then a forgery would be a work of art A forgery is not a work of art (implicit) Form alone does not make for a work of art

INCORRECT RECONSTRUCTION ▪ Form alone does not make for a work of art since a work of art requires a history . If form alone made for a work of art, then a forgery would be a work of art. ▪ Why? A work of art requires a history Form alone does not make for a work of art If form alone made for a work of art, then a forgery would be a work of art

INCORRECT RECONSTRUCTION ▪ Form alone does not make for a work of art since a work of art requires a history . If form alone made for a work of art, then a forgery would be a work of art. ▪ Why? Does it not look like the prose? A work of art requires a history If form alone made for a work of art, then a forgery would be a work of art Form alone does not make for a work of art

ONE PREMISE, TWO CONCLUSIONS ▪ It will rain soon. So the streets will be wet. The weather will also get cooler. ▪ Incorrect reconstruction – Why? It will rain soon It will rain soon The streets will be wet The weather will get cooler It will rain soon The streets will be wet and the weather will get cooler The streets will be wet The weather will get cooler It will rain soon

ARGUMENTS IN A CHAIN ▪ The King would have been furious if the dignitaries arrived late since he does not tolerate latecomers. As the King is not furious, they must have arrived on time. The King does not tolerate latecomers The King would have been fu