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Argument form



 
 
In logic
Logic

Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and inference. Logic is a branch of philosophy, a part of the classical Trivium . The word derives from Greek language ?????? , fem....
, the argument form or test form of an argument
Argument

* In logic, an Argument is a set of one or more meaningful declarative sentences known as the premises along with another meaningful declarative sentence known as the conclusion....
 results from replacing the different words, or sentences, that make up the argument with letters, along the lines of algebra
Algebra

Algebra is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of structure , relation , and quantity. Together with geometry, mathematical analysis, combinatorics, and number theory, algebra is one of the main branches of mathematics....
; the letters represent logical variable
Variable

A variable is a symbol that stands for a value that may vary; the term usually occurs in opposition to constant, which is a symbol for a non-varying value, i.e....
s
. This is of importance since the validity
Validity

The term Validity in logic applies to Argument or statements....
 of an argument is determined soley by its form. The sentence forms which classify argument forms of common important arguments are studied in logic
Logic

Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and inference. Logic is a branch of philosophy, a part of the classical Trivium . The word derives from Greek language ?????? , fem....
.

emonstrate the important notion of the form of an argument, substitute letters for similar items throughout the sentences in the original argument. Original argument
All humans are mortal.
Socrates is human.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Argument Form
All S are P.
a is S.
Therefore, a is P.


All we have done in the Argument form is to put 'S' for 'human' and 'humans', 'P' for 'mortal', and 'a' for 'Socrates'; what results, is the form of the original argument.






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Encyclopedia


In logic
Logic

Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and inference. Logic is a branch of philosophy, a part of the classical Trivium . The word derives from Greek language ?????? , fem....
, the argument form or test form of an argument
Argument

* In logic, an Argument is a set of one or more meaningful declarative sentences known as the premises along with another meaningful declarative sentence known as the conclusion....
 results from replacing the different words, or sentences, that make up the argument with letters, along the lines of algebra
Algebra

Algebra is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of structure , relation , and quantity. Together with geometry, mathematical analysis, combinatorics, and number theory, algebra is one of the main branches of mathematics....
; the letters represent logical variable
Variable

A variable is a symbol that stands for a value that may vary; the term usually occurs in opposition to constant, which is a symbol for a non-varying value, i.e....
s
. This is of importance since the validity
Validity

The term Validity in logic applies to Argument or statements....
 of an argument is determined soley by its form. The sentence forms which classify argument forms of common important arguments are studied in logic
Logic

Logic is the study of the principles of valid demonstration and inference. Logic is a branch of philosophy, a part of the classical Trivium . The word derives from Greek language ?????? , fem....
.

Example

To demonstrate the important notion of the form of an argument, substitute letters for similar items throughout the sentences in the original argument. Original argument
All humans are mortal.
Socrates is human.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Argument Form
All S are P.
a is S.
Therefore, a is P.


All we have done in the Argument form is to put 'S' for 'human' and 'humans', 'P' for 'mortal', and 'a' for 'Socrates'; what results, is the form of the original argument. Moreover, each individual sentence of the Argument form is the sentence form of its respective sentence in the original argument.

Importance

Attention is given to argument and sentence form, because form is what makes an argument valid
Validity

The term Validity in logic applies to Argument or statements....
 or cogent
Cogency

An logical argument is cogent if and only if the truth of the argument's premises would render the truth of the conclusion probable , and the argument's premises are, in fact, true....
. Some examples of valid argument forms are modus ponens
Modus ponens

In classical logic, modus ponendo ponens is a valid, simple argument form sometimes referred to as affirming the antecedent or the law of detachment....
, modus tollens
Modus tollens

In classical logic, modus tollens has the following argument form:Modus tollens is sometimes confused with indirect proof or proof by contrapositive ....
, and the disjunctive syllogism
Disjunctive syllogism

A disjunctive syllogism, historically known as modus tollendo ponens, is a classical logic validity, simple argument form:Roughly speaking, we are told that at least one of two statements is true; then we are told that it is not the former that is true; so we infer that it has to be the latter that is true....
. Two invalid argument forms are affirming the consequent
Affirming the consequent

Affirming the consequent, sometimes called converse error, is a formal fallacy, committed by reasoning in the argument form:The name affirming the consequent derives from the premise Q, which affirms consequent of the indicative conditional premise....
 and denying the antecedent
Denying the antecedent

Denying the antecedent, sometimes also called inverse error, is a formal fallacy, committed by reasoning in the argument form:The name denying the antecedent derives from the premise "not P", which denies antecedent of the indicative conditional premise....
.

See also

  • Analytic proposition
  • Synthetic proposition
  • logical form
    Logical form

    The form or logical form of an argument is the representation of its sentences using the formal grammar and symbolism of a logical system to display its similarity with all other arguments of the same type....
  • List of valid argument forms
  • List of invalid argument forms


pt:Forma de um argumento