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1. Statement:
a sentence that is true or false.
2. Proposition:
the same as a statement.
3. Premiss:
a statement / proposition that claims to provide evidence for
the conclusion of an argument.
4. Conclusion:
a statement / proposition of an argument that the premisses claim
to support.
5. Argument:
a group of statements where the premisses claim to provide
evidence for the conclusion. There can only be one conclusion,
but there can be one or more premisses.
6. Inference:
the same as an argument.
7. Conditional
Statement: an if … then … statement. If (antecedent),
then (consequent). For example: If the premisses of an inductive
argument are all true (antecedent), then the conclusion is
probably true (consequent). If the premisses of a deductive
argument are all true (antecedent), then the conclusion is
necessarily true. If the premisses of a deductive argument are
all true (antecedent), then it is impossible for the conclusion
to be false.
Note: conditional statements are not arguments, but they can be
a premiss or conclusion of an argument.
8. Disjunctive
Statement: an either … or … statement. Either (left disjunct) or (right disjunct).
9. Syllogism:
an argument with only two premisses.
10. Hypothetical
Syllogism: a syllogism with a conditional statement for one or
more of its premisses.
11. Categorical
Syllogism: a syllogism where each proposition begins with all,
no, or some.
12. Disjunctive
Syllogism: a syllogism with a disjunctive statement for one or
more of its premisses.
13. Deductive
Argument: an argument that claims that it is impossible for the
conclusion to be false if the premisses are all true.
14. Valid
Deductive Arguments: an argument where it is impossible for the
conclusion to be false if the premisses are true. The conclusion
follows necessarily from the premisses.
15. Invalid
Deductive Argument: an argument where it is possible for the
conclusion to be false if the premisses are true.
16. Sound
Argument: a valid deductive argument with all true premisses.
17. Unsound
Argument: a deductive argument that is invalid or has at least
one false premiss.
18. Inductive
Argument: an argument that claims that if the premisses are true,
then the conclusion is probably true.
19. Strong
Inductive Argument: an inductive argument where if the premisses
are true, then the conclusion is probably true.
20. Weak
Inductive Argument: an inductive argument where if the premisses
are true, then the conclusion is not probably true.
21. Cogent
Argument: a strong inductive argument with true premisses.
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