Logic 1.1
Arguments, premises and conclusions
Definitions:
Logic- The science that evaluates arguments; history of, Logical operators, definitions of
Argument- A group of statements, one or more of which (the premises) are claimed to
provide support for, or reasons to believe, one of the others (the conclusion); cogent;
conditional statements and; definitions and; explanation and; extended; form of; in science;
recognition of; sound; strong; valid.
See also Deductive argument; Inductive argument
Statement- (1) A sentence that is either true or false; (2) in predicate logic, an expression
involving bound variables or constants throughout.
See also Compound statement; General statement; Numerical statement; Particular
statement; Simple statement; Singular proposition; Superlative statement; Universal
statement
Unlike statements many sentences cannot be said to be either true or false. Questions, proposals,
suggestions, commands and exclamations usually cannot and so are not usually classified as
statements.
Truth Values- The attribute by which a statement is either true or false; of compound
statements; logically undetermined
Premises- A statement in an argument that sets forth evidence; exclusive; inconsistent
Conclusion- The statement in an argument that the premises are claimed to support or
imply; tautologous
Premises- claimed evidence
Goes to
Conclusion- what is claimed to follow from the evidence
Conclusion indicators-A word that provides a clue to identifying a conclusion, therefore, thus,
accordingly, so, hence, implies that, as a result