Argument

A argument is a way to persuade someone of something. Reasons are given to accept the conclusion.^[1][2] The general structure of an argument in a natural language is that premises (propositions or statements) support the claim or conclusion.^[2][3][4]

Citizen making an argument at a town meeting.

This article is about "argument" as it relates to logic and philosophy. It is not about disagreement or pieces of information passed in computer code.

The strength and validity of arguments can be evaluated based on the factors such as relevance and truth of the premises, the logical structure connecting premises to the conclusion, and the overall coherence of the argument.

Reason

An argument is a Reason to support an opinion.

There can be a "strong argument" or a "convincing argument" (for example, a good reason for why something should be done). Arguing is the process of conducting an argument.

The opposite is a "weak argument" or an "unconvincing argument". Arguments can be valid or invalid or a combination of both. Some arguments may appear reasonable, but they turn out to be misleading or wrong.^[5]

Related pages

• Implication and inference
• Cosmological argument
• Dialectic
• Deductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning
• Fallacy
• Reasoning

References

1. Argument, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "In everyday life, we often use the word "argument" to mean a verbal dispute or disagreement. This is not the way this word is usually used in philosophy. However, the two uses are related. Normally, when two people verbally disagree with each other, each person attempts to convince the other that his or her viewpoint is the right one. Unless he or she merely results to name calling or threats, he or she typically presents an argument for his or her position, in the sense described above. In philosophy, arguments are those statements a person makes in the attempt to convince someone of something, or present reasons for accepting a given conclusion".
2. Johnson, Ralph H. 2000 Manifest rationality: a pragmatic theory of argument. New Jersey: Erlbaum, 46-49.
3. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 2nd ed. 1995: "Argument: a sequence of statements such that some of them (the premises) purport to give reason to accept another of them, the conclusion"
4. Stanford Enc. Phil., Classical Logic
5. Blakesley, David and Jeffrey L. Hoogeveen. (2007). The Thomson Handbook, p. 209.

Other websites

Media related to Argument maps at Wikimedia Commons