Saturday, September 11, 2010

Tests for a good argument

There are three tests an argument must pass in order for it to be considered good. Each testis independent of the others so one can fail while the others pass. The first test is that the argument should be plausible. An example of this would be stating that candy is bad for your health. Because research shows that consistently eating candy is bad for you, we can conclude that the argument is plausible. The second test is that the premises should be more plausible than the conclusion. For example if we say that candy is bad for your health so people should eat less candy and more vegetables. It is not plausible for the argument to be true and the conclusion to be false since people know from experience that eating healthy foods such as vegetables makes you feel better. Lastly, in order for an argument to be good it must be valid and/or strong. An example of this would be that after eating a lot of candy and junk food over the years my body started to gain weight and feel sluggish. I heard that eating balanced meals and more vegetables would make me feel healthier. I am now in good shape and have lots more energy.

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