Subodh Bhattarai (English & Communication Notes - BBA/BBS/BBBS/BHM/BIM//MBA/MBS & +2)

  Chapter 8: Identifying Arguments 1.     WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT? ·         Generally, an argument is taken to be a somewhat heated dispute between people. But in logic and critical thinking, an argument is a list of statements, one of which is the   conclusion   and the others are the   premises   or   assumptions   of the   argument . An example: o     It is raining. o     So, you should bring an umbrella. ·         In this argument, the   first statement is the premise/assumption   and the   second one the conclusion . If you say " that dress looks nice ," you are only   expressing an opinion . But if you say " that dress looks nice because the design is very elegant ," then it would be an   argument   indeed.   ·         Dogmatic people, when they cannot defend themselves, they often resort to responses such as " this is a matter of opinion ," " this is just what you think ," or " I have the right to believe whatever I want ." ·      

Chapter 7: BASIC LOGIC 1.     SOME BASIC CONCEPTS   People associate logic with   brain teasers   and   mathematical puzzles , which seem to have little relevance to real life. The truth is that logic is of great practical significance.   If your friend is in New Zealand, you know she is not in Japan . This piece of everyday reasoning involves logic. Logic also plays a special role in computer technology. Computers are good at processing information because their processors can perform a huge number of logical operations very quickly. Obviously, normal people are capable of logical reasoning to some extent, or else we would not be able to survive very long! But making the effort to study some logic can improve our understanding of what good reasoning is like so we can become even better.   a)       Consistency A set of statements is   consistent   when and only when it is logically possible for all of them to be true in the same situation. Otherwise, they are inconsistent. So, for exam