Inductive and Deductive Arguments
In this assignment, you will apply key concepts covered in the module readings. You will identify the component parts of arguments and differentiate between various types of arguments such as inductive and deductive. You will then construct specific, original arguments.
There are two parts to the assignment. Complete both parts. The following is a summary of the assignment tasks.
Part 1
- 1a: Identify Components of Arguments Identify the component parts of the argument, premises and conclusion, for the passages. Where applicable, highlight key words or phrases that identify a claim as a premise or a conclusion. Part 1a has three questions.
1) Sue is pregnant and will give birth to one child. (Premise) We know already that this child has no genetic anomalies.(Premise) If Sue's baby is a boy, he will be named Mark. (Conclusion) If Sues baby is a girl, she will be named Margaret. (Conclusion) Sue will have either a girl or a boy (Premise) so we know Sue's baby will be named Mark or Margaret. (Conclusion)
The term 'so' is the key word that indicates a conclusion to the above mentioned claim is to follow.
2) If the library has The Lord of the Rings, you won't find it on the first floor. (Premise) This is because all fantasy novels are fiction and all works of fiction are housed on the second floor of the library. (Premise) Of course, I am assuming that all the books are properly shelved at this time. "Conclusion"
"Of course" is a key word indicating the claim is the Conclusion.
3) "After a year, brain scans showed that among the walkers, the hippocampus had increased in volume by about 2 percent on average; in the others, it had declined by about 1.4 percent. (Premise) Since such a decline is normal in older adults, 'a 2 percent increase is fairly significant,' said the lead author, Kirk Erickson, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh. (Conclusion) Both groups also improved on a test of spatial memory, but the walkers improved more. (Premise) While it is hard to generalize from this study to other populations, the researchers were delighted to learn that the hippocampus might expand with exercise". (Conclusion)
"While" is the key word that indicates a conclusion to the above mentioned claim is to follow.
- 1b: Identify Arguments as Inductive or Deductive Identify the arguments as inductive or deductive for given passages. Offer a brief explanation why each argument is either inductive or deductive. 1b has three questions.
Part 2
- 2a:Argument Identification and Analysis In these longer text passages, identify the key components of each argument. For each argument, list the main conclusion and the reasons (or premises) that support the conclusion.
- 2b: Constructing Original Arguments Construct one original inductive argument. Using 75-100 words, explain why the argument is an inductive one. Then, construct one original deductive argument. Using 75-100 words, explain why the argument is a deductive one.
- 2c: Finding Native Argument Examples Find one example of an argument from contemporary media; this can be a short argument. Include or reproduce the original passage of the argument, paraphrase the conclusion(s), and identify the argument as either inductive or deductive. Using 75-100 words, explain why the argument is either inductive or deductive.