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What Makes an Argument

Argument- is a series of statements in which at least one of the statements is offered as reason for

belief in another.

Any statement, whether explicit or implicit, that is offered as a reason is a premise.Premise also serves as a evidence, warrant, basis, justification, ground, or rationale.

Conclusion- this is the statement for which the reason is offered.

Statements: The Building Blocks of Arguments

Statements are sentences that can be true or false.

The Form and the Function of Statements and Other Sentence.

Sentences that are not statements serve a wide variety of other nondeclarative functions.

Exclamatory- they function to express strong and sudden emotion

Imperative- they direct others to action.

Interrogative- they serve to ask a question.

Performative- asserting certain things under the right circumstances, they enable you thereby to do, or

perform, those things.

Here is a sentence that might be thought to serve all five functions:

For the last time I ask you to tell me your name!

For identifying arguments, what matters most in the function served by the sentence. Indefining an argument as a series of statements, the term statement is meant to include sentences that

function declaratively, whether they take that form or not.

Five Functions Served by Sentences

1. Declarative conveys information2. Exclamatory- expresses emotion3. Imperative- directs others to action4. Interrogative- asks question5. Performative- does things by virtue of saying them.

ONLY THOSE SENTENCES SERVING A DECLARATIVE FUNCTION COUNT AS STATEMENT.

STATEMENTS THAT OFFER A REASON FOR BELIEF

What matters in identifying an argument is not whether the premise succeeds in supporting the

conclusion, but whether it is intended to support it. A statement is offered as a reason to believe

another statement. Success of the premise is not what makes an argument.

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Count it as an argument even if the reasons offered seem clearly to be bad ones.

Inference Indicators

Best sign of an argument. Term frequently signifies presence of an inference-that is, of

movement from premise to conclusion.

Some other inference indicators that introduce a premise:

Since you said it, it must be true.

Because he is being so sweet, you know hes about to ask for money.

Spring is coming early, for the crocuses are already in bloom.

I can tell that she will accept the job offer; my reason is that I heard her talking to a moving company

yesterday.

I think that the butler did it, on account ofhis fingerprints on the weapon.

A common pitfall in identifying indicators is to suppose that ifis an inference indicator that introduces a

premise.

Examples of an inference indicator that introduce the conclusion:

You said it, therefore it must be true.

He is being sweet; thus, you know hes about to ask for money.

The crocuses are already in bloom; consequently, spring is coming early.

I heard her talking to a moving company yesterday; it followsthat she will accept the job offer.

These are the butlers fingerprints; hence the butler did it.

When There Are No Inference Indicators

When there are no inference indicators, look for the most controversial statement in theargument; if one can be readily indentified, it is usually the conclusion.

When there are no inference indicators, look in wider context for the question being asked; the

proposed answer usually the conclusion.