Group Assignment #1

1. The components of an argument are the premises and conclusions. The premise
are ideas used as reasons to accept a certain claim. The conclusion is the claim that
is being asked to be accepted. Three key word indicators for premises are: since, of,
because. Three key word indicators of a conclusion are: therefore, hence, thus.
2. The difference between an explanation and an argument, is that explanations are
trying to make something easier to understand while an argument uses statements
to make you accept a claim.
Example of an argument: Aluminum is a metal. Metals are good conductors of
heat. So aluminum is a good conductor of heat.
This is an example of an argument because it has the premises, which are the first
two sentences, and a conclusion. The premises tries to make you accept the claim
by providing reasons to why aluminum is a good conductor of heat.
Example of an explanation: Lydia is afraid of dogs, because when she was a child
a dog bit her.
This is an explanation because it is describing why Lydia is afraid of dogs, and it not
trying to make you accept a claim.
3. The three criteria a statement must meet in order to count as an objective
statement are: it must be either true or false, whether its true or false should
independent of whether a person thinks it is or isnt, and the statement must be
able to be proven to be either true or false.
An example of an objective statement: My house is three blocks away from a
market.
This statement is true and it can be proven by walking from my house to the market
and counting the blocks. This statement also doesnt depend on whether a person
believes its true or false, since it can be proven.
4. The difference between a deductive argument and an inductive argument is that
in a deductive argument the same ideas used for the premises are used on the
conclusion while in an inductive argument there is a new idea being introduced in
the conclusion. Deductive arguments also aim to be true while an inductive
argument aims to be more likely true.
An example of a deductive argument: All eukaryotes have a nucleus. All brain
cells are eukaryotes. Therefore, all brain cells have a nucleus.
This is a deductive argument because you can see that the conclusion is true based
of the premises, and there is no new ideas on the conclusion.
An example of an inductive argument: Andy drinks coffee every weekend.
Tomorrow is the weekend. So, Andy will drink coffee tomorrow.

This is an inductive argument because Andy will most likely drink coffee tomorrow
based on the premises but we could never be completely sure if he will. Also the
idea of drinking coffee tomorrow is new.