Chapter 12 (identifying and evaluating arguments)

Chapter summary
Reconizing arguments as you read lets you critically examine an author's line of reasoningl. Arguments always have the structure of at least one reason and one conclusion. One way to detect them is to look for an author's conclusions and then track the reasons he or she used to reach them. Another way is to look for the argument word clues an author uses to indicate when reasons are being presented and conclusions stated. When you find an argument, you should break it down into its constituent parts so that you can determine whether it is well founded and logical. Arguments can be evaluated using specific criteria including determining dependability, distinguishing fact from opinion, and detecting fallacies.
The two primary types of arguments are deductive and inductive. Deductive arguments have at least one premise that logically leads to a conclusion. If the premise or premises of a deductive argument are true, then the conclusion is true. Inductive arguments begin with a series of specific observations and conclude with a generalization that logically flows from them. As they are based on limited observations, even well-constructed inductive arguments cannot be considered absoultely true.
An author's views should be actively questioned so that flaws in the presentation of information are not passively accepted. Being able to detect and evaluate arguments in textbooks, and to create arguments using your textbook reading material, forces you to analyze the logic of what you read and helps you present your own ideas in a logical fashion.