Reasoning and Evidence

What is an argument?

• A type of food commonly eaten for breakfast

• A type of fight between two or more people

• A mathematical calculation

• A statement or set of statements used to persuade or present reasons for accepting a conclusion.

Why is it important to provide evidence to support an argument?

• To confuse others and make the argument seem more complex

• To hide the weaknesses of the argument and avoid criticism

• To support the validity of the argument and convince others of its credibility.

• To make the argument seem more mysterious and intriguing

What are some common fallacies in reasoning?

• Round square, upside-down triangle, inside-out circle

• Chocolate cake, spaghetti, ice cream

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

• Ad hominem, straw man, false cause, slippery slope, appeal to authority

How can you evaluate the credibility of evidence?

• By choosing the most colorful evidence

• By considering the source's expertise, objectivity, reliability, consistency, and corroboration of the evidence.

• By flipping a coin

• By asking a friend's opinion

Explain the concept of a counterargument.

• A counterargument is a supporting argument for the original point.

• A counterargument is a completely unrelated argument to the original point.

• A counterargument is a neutral argument that doesn't take a side.

• A counterargument is an opposing argument to the one being made.

What role does logic play in constructing a strong argument?

• Logic plays a crucial role in constructing a strong argument.

• Emotions are more important than logic in constructing a strong argument

• Logic has no impact on constructing a strong argument

• Using random facts and statistics is more effective than using logic in constructing a strong argument

What are some ways to strengthen an argument with evidence?

• Using irrelevant and unreliable sources

• Using relevant and credible sources, providing specific examples, using statistics or data, and anticipating and addressing counterarguments

• Ignoring counterarguments

• Providing vague and general examples

How can bias affect the strength of an argument?

• Bias can strengthen the evidence and reasoning presented in the argument.

• Bias has no impact on the strength of an argument.

• Bias only affects the conclusion of the argument, not the evidence and reasoning.

• Bias can weaken or distort the evidence and reasoning presented in the argument.

Provide an example of a strong argument supported by evidence.

• The relationship between wearing a hat and getting sunburned

• The connection between eating chocolate and growing taller

• The correlation between drinking water and causing dehydration

• The link between smoking and lung cancer