Epstein states in Chapter 3 that an argument is a good argument if it passes three tests. The first test is “The premises are plausible,” meaning the argument presents a legitimate reason to believe it to be true. The second test is “The premises are more plausible than the conclusion,” meaning that if there are strong, reliable premises, than the conclusion should without a doubt be true. The final test, “The argument is valid or strong,” explains that if the argument is weak or has implausible claims, then the argument cannot be good. An example would be:
“My party is on Saturday. Chloe works every Saturday. Chloe can’t come to my party because she has to work.”
The premises are plausible, because the party is on Saturday and Chloe works every Saturday. The premises may also be more plausible than the conclusion because we have no reason to believe that both of these statements are not true. And finally, this is a strong argument because there is a slight possibility that Chloe will for some reason not be working on Saturday; maybe she requested it off, or they happen to not need her that night. It is a rare possibility because she works every Saturday, but if she does not, then she would be able to attend the party. In conclusion, this is a good argument.
This is a good example and is clearly a valid argument as well as a good one. Both premises can be assumed to be true. A party is set to be on saturday and Chloe works EVERY saturday. Therefore the conclusion is assumed to be true, Chloe can't come because she works(every saturday). The conclusion does follow the premises which indicated a valid/strong argument. There is one possibility that can happen but is very unlikely. the premise " my party is on saturday" Which Saturday? this upcoming saturday? next week? when? Also, Chloe works Saturdays, what time does she work? Which can tie into a question of, what time does the party start? Those are the only ideas that popped into my head. Overall great job, I like how you explained yourself. keep it up
ReplyDeleteI like how you wrote your test for an argument. I think it was well written. You made it clear and easy to understand. I like how you mentioned that there are three tests that an argument needs to pass in order for it to be a good argument. I like how you stated each step and then clarified it more into detail with your own definition, it made it easy for readers, like myself, to understand. Your example was well written as well. The premises of your argument are reasonable and may be true. Chloe works every Saturday and the party is on Saturday which makes the conclusion true. Like you mentioned, she may have requested it off, which makes the argument questionable. Does Chloe work all day Saturday? Overall, I think you made a very strong argument. I think you wrote your example very well. You also did an excellent job on how you defined testing for an argument!
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