2.4 Strong Vs Weak Arguments

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| By Kdelapla

Kdelapla

Community Contributor

Quizzes Created: 10 | Total Attempts: 24,589

Questions: 10 | Attempts: 2,507 | Updated: Mar 22, 2023

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Questions and Answers

1.

An argument can be invalid but still qualify as a good argument.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
True. If it's strong then it'll qualify.

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2.

An argument can have weak logic but still qualify as a good argument.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
False. Weak arguments violate the Logic Condition, by definition.

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1
0
3.

Validity comes in degrees — you can have arguments that are “very valid”, “moderately valid”, etc.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
False. Validity is all-or-nothing, it doesn't come in degrees.

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4.

The threshold between “weak” and “strong” arguments isn’t fixed or specified by logic. It’s a conventional choice that we make.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
True. The threshold between "weak" and "strong" arguments is a choice that we make, it's not dictated by logic.

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1
0
5.

If an argument form is valid, like the one below … 1. All A are B 2. x is an A Therefore, x is a B … then all arguments that share this form are also valid.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
True. This is a fundamental property of valid argument forms, that they're FORMS. Validity is a property of the structural features of an argument, it's independent of the specific claims that are being asserted.

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2
0
6.

1. Almost all movies filmed in the past decade are in black and white. 2. The Hunger Games movie was filmed in the past decade. Therefore, The Hunger Games is a black and white movie.
- A.
  
  Strong
- B.
  
  Weak
Correct Answer
A. Strong

Explanation
Strong. If the premises are true, the conclusion is very likely true. The first premise is in fact false, but that's irrelevant to assessing the logic of the argument.

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1
1
7.

1. Almost all movies filmed in the past decade are in black and white. 2. The Hunger Games movie is a black and white movie. Therefore, The Hunger Games was filmed in the past decade.
- A.
  
  Strong
- B.
  
  Weak
Correct Answer
B. Weak

Explanation
Weak. Even granting the premises, the conclusion would not follow with high probability. One could have many movies filmed prior to the past decade that were also in black and white.

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1
0
8.

1. If I study hard then I’ll pass the final exam. 2. I passed the final exam. Therefore, I studied hard.
- A.
  
  Valid
- B.
  
  Strong
- C.
  
  Weak
Correct Answer
C. Weak

Explanation
Weak. The premises don't say that the ONLY way to pass the final is to study hard. They only say that IF I study hard then I'm sure to pass. But I could still pass without studying hard (because the questions were easy, because I cheated, because I'm really smart, and so on...).

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1
0
9.

1. Very few people are taller than 7 feet. 2. James is a person. Therefore, James is not taller than 7 feet.
- A.
  
  Valid
- B.
  
  Strong
- C.
  
  Weak
Correct Answer
B. Strong

Explanation
Strong. Given the premises, it's very likely that James is not taller than 7 feet.

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10.

“90% of the people surveyed at my local church support capital punishment. This gives us reason to believe that most Americans support capital punishment.”
- A.
  
  Valid
- B.
  
  Strong
- C.
  
  Weak
Correct Answer
C. Weak

Explanation
Weak. The sample is too small and unrepresentative to let us infer that most Americans think the same way as the local church goers about capital punishment.

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Current Version
Mar 22, 2023

Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team
Aug 25, 2012

Quiz Created by
Kdelapla

2.4 Strong Vs Weak Arguments

An argument can be invalid but still qualify as a good argument.

An argument can have weak logic but still qualify as a good argument.

Validity comes in degrees — you can have arguments that are “very valid”, “moderately valid”, etc.

The threshold between “weak” and “strong” arguments isn’t fixed or specified by logic. It’s a conventional choice that we make.

If an argument form is valid, like the one below … 1. All A are B 2. x is an A Therefore, x is a B … then all arguments that share this form are also valid.

1. Almost all movies filmed in the past decade are in black and white. 2. The Hunger Games movie was filmed in the past decade. Therefore, The Hunger Games is a black and white movie.

1. Almost all movies filmed in the past decade are in black and white. 2. The Hunger Games movie is a black and white movie. Therefore, The Hunger Games was filmed in the past decade.

1. If I study hard then I’ll pass the final exam. 2. I passed the final exam. Therefore, I studied hard.

1. Very few people are taller than 7 feet. 2. James is a person. Therefore, James is not taller than 7 feet.

“90% of the people surveyed at my local church support capital punishment. This gives us reason to believe that most Americans support capital punishment.”