The "counterexample method"
While the premises may be true in an argument, the conclusion may or may not be correct, making the argument invalid. Example of an incorrect argument: Some New Yorkers are rude, some of them are artists, therefore some artists are rude.
A counterexample method is a powerful way to prove an argument’s conclusion to be invalid. You can use this method by: isolating the argument form and then constructing an argument with the same form that is obviously invalid.
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Similar ideas to The "counterexample method"
Proving an argument is not valid
The counterexample method is effective at exposing the invalidity of deductive arguments.
- Isolate the argument form in a simple, easy to digest form, like by replacing names with letters.
- Create an analogy, a counterexample that substitutes ...
Constructing a good argument
At its core, an argument consists of a conclusion and one or more premises, or claims.
- The conclusion is what the communicator wants his or her audience to accept.
- The premises are the reasons for believing the conclusion to be true.
Structure of a well-formed argument
It does not use reasons that contradict each other, contradict the conclusion or explicitly or implicitly assumes the truth of the conclusion. Checklist:
- Does the communication include at least one reason to support the conclusion as being true? If not, it is not an...
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