Saturday, June 19, 2010

Valid vs Strong Arguments

Valid Argument:

A valid argument is an argument that is in correct form, but not necessarily true. Whenever the premises are true that conclusion must be true. In a valid argument, truth is determined by whether the premises are true. If the premises are false then the conclusion cannot be true. For example:

If 2+3=5 then 3+2=5

In this example, this is a valid argument because both premises are true, thus making the conclusion true.

Strong Argument:

A strong argument is an argument with good evidence to support the claim. Strong arguments are invalid arguments that have true premises. For example:

Most girls drive Volkswagen Beetles.
I am a girl.
I drive a Volkswagen Beetle.

Although my conclusion is invalid, my argument is strong.

I do not actually understand strong arguments so if anyone has a better example or definition for me, I would me more than appreciative if you would help me out.

Thanks

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