Critical Thinking by Example

Example 1.2: A simple argument in standard notation

P1: John is over two meters tall. C: John is tall.

The premise, 'P1', is offered in support of the conclusion, 'C'. A second convention involves diagramming. We can insert numerals into 1.1 like so:

Example 1.3: A simple argument with numerals inserted

[1] John is over two meters tall, [2] so he is tall.

The associated diagram is given in 1.4:

Example 1.4: Simple argument diagram

2 1

We read diagrams from the bottom up, with each arrow representing 'therefore'. In other words, we read 1.3 as 1, therefore 2, and substitute in the propositions for 1 and 2, that is, [1] John is over two meters tall, therefore [2] John is tall.

2. Five Argument Types

The arguments we will discuss in this work are either one of the five types given in example 1.5, or a combination of two or more of these five argument types.

Example 1.5: Five Argument Types