What is a GOOD argument?

What is the DIFFERENCE between a GOOD argumentand a BAD one?

In a good argument, if the reasons are true, then the
conclusion has to be true. In a categorical syllogism, you can test whether the reasons support the conclusion by drawing a diagram.
1. All As are in
2. Group B is in
3. Therefore, all As are in group C.
If you agree to the first and second steps, then you simply can't reject the conclusion. This is called "deduction." But there are many other types of syllogisms.

A disjunctive syllogism uses "or." For example:
1. Either the maid did it or the butler did it.
2. It wasn't the maid.
Therefore, it must have been the butler.
We call this type of reasoning "process of elimination." You can also consider more than two possibilities if you want.

A hypothetical syllogism concludes with an"if." For example:
1.If you love chocolate chip cookies, then you like
chocolate.
2.If you like chocolate, then you'll eat beans.
Therefore, if you love chocolate chip cookies, then you'll eat beans.
You can have more than three steps, as long as each connects to the last.

A statistical syllogism lets you make an educated guess. For example:
1. Most kids like trampolines.
2. Jeremy is a kid.
Therefore, Jeremy probably likes trampolines.
Unlike other types of syllogisms we have looked at, this conclusion is not guaranteed.

ZENO OF CITIUM was an ancient Phoenician philosopher who loved to use syllogisms. While some philosophers have disorganized arguments, Zeno preferred to present his arguments in three clear steps. He would ask his opponents if they agreed to the first two steps-they usually did. Then he would show them how those two steps result in a surprising conclusion that they could not deny. Here are two examples:
1. Whatever uses reason is better than whatever does not use reason.
2. But nothing is better than the universe. Therefore, the universe uses reason.
1.A god is worthy of honor.
2.Nonexistent things are not worthy of honor. Therefore, a god exists.
Do you agree that the first two steps of each of these arguments are true? Do you agree that they result in the conclusions?

FRANCIS BACON was a seventeenth-century English philosopher who argued against the use of syllogisms to reason about the world. Instead, he preferred induction-the method of gathering evidence to support a gen- eral conclusion. For example:
1.Swan A is white.
2.Swan B is white.
3. Swan C is white.
4.And so on, for as many swans as we can find.
Therefore, probably, all swans are white.
Bacon argued against syllogistic reasoning as follows:
1.Syllogisms are made up of statements.
2. Statements are made up of words.
3.Words represent ideas.
4.Ideas are confused.
Therefore, syllogisms are confused.
The problem is that this argument is a syllogism. So, Bacon is using a syllogism against the use of syllogism!

THINK ON IT!

Fix each of the following arguments to change them from a bad argument into a good argument.

Argument A
1. Either the philosopher, the biologist, or the poet did it.
2. The philosopher did not do it. Therefore, the poet did it.

Argument B
1. All rabbits are furry.
2. Peter is a rabbit.
Therefore, Peter is fast.