Making good arguments and analyzing the arguments of others is an important skill to develop as you grow into adulthood. Being able to think critically and reason well will help you in your education, career, and personal relationships. However, it’s not always easy to evaluate arguments objectively. In this blog post, we’ll look at some tips and examples to help strengthen your reasoning abilities.

The Building Blocks of an Argument

Before analyzing an argument, you need to understand what one looks like. A good argument is built upon clear statements called premises that lead to a conclusion.

For example, a simple argument might look like this:

Premise 1: All dogs are mammals
Premise 2: Coco is a dog
Conclusion: Therefore, Coco is a mammal

The premises support the conclusion. If the premises are true and related to each other, then the conclusion is likely also true.

Some arguments have unstated premises that need to be made explicit:

Premise 1: [Getting 8 hours of sleep each night helps you focus]
Premise 2: Jim is having trouble focusing during the day
Conclusion: Jim must not be getting 8 hours of sleep each night

The first premise about sleep and focus is implied but needs to be stated clearly. When analyzing an argument, you want to watch for any gaps in reasoning caused by missing premises.

Assessing the Quality of Premises

The strength of an argument depends heavily on its premises. For an argument to work, the premises must be relevant to the conclusion and factually true.

Let’s look back at our example:

Premise 1: All dogs are mammals
Premise 2: Coco is a dog
Conclusion: Therefore, Coco is a mammal

For this to be a strong argument, both premises must be sound. Premise 1 is true – all dog species are biologically classified as mammals. Premise 2 is relevant to the conclusion since it specifically identifies Coco as being a dog. The premises logically lead to the conclusion.

Now consider this flawed argument:

Premise 1: All fish live in water
Premise 2: Trout is a type of fish
Conclusion: Therefore, trout live in trees

The conclusion does not at all follow from the premises! Premise 1 is factual but premise 2, while also likely true, does not connect to the illogical conclusion.

When analyzing arguments, look closely at each premise and ask yourself: Is this 100% true? Is it related to the conclusion? If the premises don’t check out, the argument collapses.

Watching for Logical Fallacies

Logical fallacies are flaws in reasoning that weaken an argument. There are many types of fallacies to look out for. Here are explanations and examples of a few major fallacies:

Begging the question: The conclusion is assumed implicitly or explicitly in the premises.
Premise: Free speech rights should be restricted for hate groups since their speech infringes on the rights of others.
Conclusion: Hate speech should be restricted because it infringes on the rights of others.

The premise and conclusion essentially say the same thing – no real argument is being made.

Ad hominem: Attacking the arguer rather than arguing against the logic of their argument.
Person 1: We should have stricter gun control laws to prevent violence.
Person 2: You don’t really believe that. You’re just saying what your political party wants you to say.

Person 2 attacked Person 1’s perceived motives rather than addressing their argument.

False dichotomy: Presenting only two options when there are more options available.
Premise: We should either keep our current health insurance system or switch to the government’s proposed insurance plan.
Conclusion: We should adopt the government’s insurance plan.

The two options presented are keep the current system or adopt the government’s plan. The premise ignores other possibilities like modifying the current system.

When you identify logical fallacies, you expose weaknesses in arguments. This allows you to counterargue more effectively.

Developing Your Own Reasoning Skills

Learning to pick apart other people’s arguments is useful, but you also want to improve the quality of your own arguments. Here are some tips:

• Carefully examine your premises – are they facts you can prove? Are they relevant to your conclusion?
• Avoid making assumptions without evidence – make any suppressed premises explicit.
• Aim for logical consistency – make sure your conclusion aligns with the premises.
• Watch out for fallacies and remove them from your reasoning. Double check for gaps in logic.
• Consider counterarguments – what might someone who disagrees say? Modifying your premises to pre-empt counterarguments makes your argument stronger.

Practice by writing down arguments you encounter and analyzing their reasoning. See if you can find statements that are assumptions, inconsistencies in logic, or fallacies. Ask people to critique your arguments to identify areas for improvement.

The more you practice thinking critically, the better you’ll get at making water-tight arguments and persuasive cases. Strong reasoning skills will serve you well! They can help you win debates, excel in classes, and make difficult decisions.

Anecdotal Evidence and Emotional Appeals

Now that we’ve looked at formal reasoning, let’s discuss two types of techniques people often use in arguments that depend more on emotions than logic: anecdotal evidence and emotional appeals.

Anecdotal evidence is using personal experiences or isolated examples to make a broader point:

“My grandfather smoked cigarettes his whole life and lived to 95 years old. So smoking isn’t that bad for you.”

While anecdotes can provide colorful illustrations, they aren’t substitutes for facts and statistical data. Relying solely on anecdotal evidence when making arguments is generally considered a logical fallacy.

Emotional appeals attempt to persuade by evoking strong emotions:

“Just imagine these poor kittens alone, hungry, and afraid. We need to donate to the animal shelter so they can help these innocent creatures!”

Emotions like sadness for the kittens or outrage at their plight can compel people to take action. But like anecdotes, emotional appeals are no replacement for rational arguments backed by facts.

That said, incorporating some anecdotes and emotional elements into an otherwise logical argument can help connect with audiences and strengthen your persuasive powers. Just be wary of arguments that rely entirely on tenuous anecdotes or heart-string tugging. Back up emotional rhetoric with facts and reasoning.

Evaluating Arguments in Debates and News Stories

Put your critical thinking skills to work by watching political debates and analyzing news stories. Here are some key questions to ask when assessing the arguments being made:

• What explicit and implicit premises are given to support conclusions? Do they seem true and relevant?
• Do any fallacies weaken the reasoning? Watch for begging the question, ad hominem attacks, false dichotomies, etc.
• Is anecdotal evidence used in place of solid facts? Are strong emotions invoked to cover for weak reasoning?
• Are there logical inconsistencies or contradictions in the argument’s line of reasoning?
• Could additional premises provide stronger support for conclusions? Are key premises missing?

Learning to meticulously pick apart arguments takes practice but is intellectually rewarding. You’ll grow sharper at making persuasive cases and wiser at judging the claims of others. Strong reasoning abilities will aid you in countless arenas of life.

So be skeptical. Question arguments. Strive to craft rational cases. Hone your thinking and you’ll excel during your university years and make better decisions throughout your adulthood. The ability to cut through faulty logic is an invaluable lifelong tool.