CRITICAL THINKING

1. Chapter One- Introducing

Philosophy
2. Chapter Two- Basic Concepts Of
Logic
3. Chapter Three- Logic And
Language
4. Chapter Four- Basic Concepts Of
Critical Thinking
5. Chapter Five- Informal Fallacies
6. Chapter Six- Categorical
Propositions
 Chapter One
Introducing Philosophy
Questions for discussion
1.What is philosophy?
2.Why is defining philosophy accurately/
precisely so difficult ?
3.What is (love of) wisdom and who is wise?
4.What is the feature of philosophy
5. what is the methodological difference
between philosophy and other sciences?
6.What are the branches of philosophy…….
7.What is the importance of learning
philosophy?
Basic Features of Philosophy
Philosophy is:
set of views or beliefs about life and
the universe
process of reflecting and criticizing
most deeply
held conceptions and beliefs
rational attempt to look at the world
as a whole
logical analysis of language and
clarification of
the meaning of words and
concepts
group of perennial problems where
philosophers
always have sought to answers.
 Core branches of Philosophy
Philosophy has different primary and secondary
branches
Metaphysics- philosophical study of
reality/existence
Epistemology - philosophical study of
knowledge/truth
Axiology- philosophical study of value/worth
of sth.
Logic- study of argument/ reason
1. Metaphysics
 Etymologically: derived from the Greek
words “meta” means (―beyond, ―upon or
―after) and physika, means (―physics)---
Literally to mean ‘things after the physics’

 studies the ultimate nature of reality

 seek an irreducible foundation of reality

where knowledge can induced/deduced
 Deals with issues of
 Reality God, freedom, soul/immortality
 the mind-body problem, form and
substance
 relationship, cause and effect
relationship
Here are some of the questions that
Metaphysics primarily deals with:
What is reality?
What is the ultimately real?
What is the nature of the ultimate
reality?
is it one thing or is it many different
things?
Can reality be grasped by the senses, or
it is transcendent?
What makes reality different from a mere
appearance?
What is mind, and what is its relation to
the body?
is there a cause and effect relationship
between reality and appearance?
Does God exist, and if so, can we prove
 Metaphysical questions may be divided into
four subsets or aspects:
I. Cosmological Aspect:
 study of theories about the origin, nature,
and development of the universe as an
orderly system
 Cosmological questions
• How did the universe originate and develop?
• Did it come about by accident or design?
• Does its existence have any purpose
II. Theological Aspect
 part of religious theory that deals about God
 Theological question
• Is there a God?
• If so, is there one or more than one?
• What are the attributes of God?
• If God is both all good and all powerful, why
does evil exist?
• If God exists, what is His relationship to human
III: Anthropological Aspect
• deals with the study of human beings
• Anthropological questions
 What is the relation between mind
and body?
 Is mind more fundamental than body,
with body depending on mind, or vice
versa?
 What is humanity‘s moral status?
 Are people born good, evil, or morally
neutral?
IV: Ontology
 Study the ultimate nature of
reality/existence
 Ontological questions
• Is basic reality found in matter or
physical energy
•
2. Epistemology
 Derived from Greek words --episteme, meaning ―
knowledge, understanding, and logos, meaning ―study of -
literary to mean the study of
truth/knowledge
 Deals with nature, scope, meaning, and
possibility of knowledge
 deals with issues of knowledge, opinion,
truth, falsity, reason, experience, and faith
 Deals with the dependability of knowledge
and the validity of sources
 Hence, the study of knowledge Involves
three main areas
 The source of knowledge –ways to
knowledge
 Nature of the knowledge-
 The validity of the knowledge
The following are among the questions/issues
with which Epistemology deals:
What is knowledge?
What does it mean to know?
What is the source of knowledge?
Experience? Reason?
Or both?
How can we be sure that what we
perceive through our
senses is correct?
What makes knowledge different from
belief or
opinion?
What is truth, and how can we know a
statement is
true?
Can reason really help us to know
 Epistemology seeks answers to a number of
fundamental issues
 whether reality can even be known
 whether truth is relative or absolute
 Whether truth is subjected to change or
not
 The other major aspect of Epistemology is
about the sources of human knowledge
 Empiricism----------Sense Experience
 Rationalism- -------Reason /Thought
 Intuition- -----------Direct apprehension
 Revelation- ---------Supernatural
being(from God)
 Authority-
----------Expertise/professionals
1. Empiricism
 knowledge appears to be built into the very
nature of human experience
 Sensory knowing is immediate and universal
 Weakness
 data obtained from human senses is
incomplete and undependable.
i.e. Fatigue, frustration, and illness
may distort and
limit sensory perception
 there are inaudible and invisible things
that can not be identified by sense
 Advantage of empirical knowledge
 many sensory experiences and
experiments are open to both
replication and public examination
2. Rationalism
 Reason is source of knowledge
 emphasis on capability of humanity‘s
power of thought and the mind
 humans are capable of arriving at
irrefutable knowledge independently of
sensory experience
 Senses alone cannot provide consistent
universal, valid judgments
 Data obtain through senses are raw
material-k/dge
 people have the power to know with
certainty various truths about the universe
that the senses alone cannot give
Intuition
direct apprehension(grasping) of knowledge
Not derived from reasoning or sense
perception
immediate feeling of certainty OR sudden
flash of Insight
source of both religious and secular
knowledge
Source for many scientific advancements -
confirmed by
experimentation
The weakness or danger of intuition
When it used alone it may
•goes astray very easily
•lead to absurd claims
4. Revelation
Primary source of knowledge in religion
presupposes a transcendent supernatural
reality
Used as omniscient source of information
The truth revealed is absolute and
uncontaminated information
Limitation
Knowledge can be distorted through
time
Accepted by faith and cannot be proved
or disproved empirically
5. Authority :accepted as true because it comes
from experts

N.B: one source of information alone might not

be capable of supplying people with all
3. Axiology
 Derived from Greek words - Axios, meaning
―value, worth, and ―logos, meaning
―study to mean the study of value/worth
of something
 Axiology asks the philosophical questions of
values that deal with notions of what a
person or a society regards as good or
preferable such as:
What is a value?
Where do values come from?
How do we justify our values?
How do we know what is valuable?
What is the relationship between values and
knowledge?
What kinds of values exist?
Can it be demonstrated that one value is better
than another?
3. There are Three different area of
axiology
I. Ethics
II. Aesthetics
III. Social/political philosophy-
I. Ethics : philosophical study of principles
used to judge human actions as
good/bad/right/wrong
•Normative ethics:
Teleological Ethics
Deontological Ethics
Virtue Ethics
•Meta- ethics:
•Applied Ethics:
II. Aesthetics
 Aesthetics is the theory of beauty
 studies particular value of our artistic and
aesthetic experiences.
 deals with beauty, art, enjoyment,
sensory/emotional values, perception, and
matters of taste and sentiment
 The following are typical Aesthetic
questions:
•What is art?
•What is beauty?
•What is the relation between art and
beauty?
•What is the connection between art,
beauty, and truth?
III. Social/Political Philosophy
studies about of the value judgments operating
in a civil society
The following questions are some of the major
Social/Political Philosophy primarily deals with:
What economic system is best?
What form of government is best?
What is justice/injustice?
What makes an action/judgment just/unjust?
What is society?
Does society exist? If it does, how does it
come to existence?
How are civil society and government come
to exist?
Are we obligated to obey all laws of the
State?
What is the purpose of government?
 Importance of learning philosophy
Intellectual and behavioral
independence
Reflective Self-Awareness
Flexibility
Tolerance
Open-Mindedness
Creative and Critical Thinking
Conceptualized and well-thought-out
value systems
helps us to deal with the uncertainty of
living
 Chapter2
Basic Concepts of Logic
Chapter Objectives:
 after the successful completion of this
chapter, you will be able to:
Understand the meaning and basic
concepts of logic;
Understand the meaning, components,
and types of arguments; and
Recognize the major techniques of
recognizing and evaluating arguments.
Brainstorming question
1.What is logic?
2.What is the significance of learning
logic for you?
Logic:
 Comes from Greek word ’logos’ to mean
discourse", "reason", "rule
 a science that evaluates arguments
 study of methods and principles of correct
reasoning
 develop the method and principles for
evaluating arguments
 primary tool philosophers use in their
inquiries
 attempt to codify the rules of rational
thought
 in logic we study reasoning itself:
 forms of argument
 general principles and
 particular errors
 along with methods of arguing
Question 2
1. What is argument, statement ,premise
and conclusion ?
Argument ,premise and conclusion
 Argument is the primary focus of logic
 Argument is group of statements
 One/more of which claimed to provide evidence
 one of the other follows the evidence
 From The definition
 An argument is a group of statements
 The statement/s divided into premise(s) and
conclusion
 Statement :declarative sentence with truth-value
 Argument always attempts to justify a claim i.e.
• claim that the statement attempts to justify -C
• statements that supposedly justify the claim -P
 Therefore, An Argument is always composed of P & C
 Sentences: group of words or phrases that
enables us to express ideas meaningfully
 sentence: may or may not have truth value
 Sentences of the following type are not
statements
• Would you close the window? (Question)
• Let us study together. (Proposal)
• Right on! (Exclamation)
• I suggest that you to read philosophy
texts. (Suggestion)
• Give me your ID Card, Now! (Command)
Examples
o All Ethiopians are Africans.

Tsionawit is an Ethiopian
Therefore, Tsionawit is an African
o Some Africans are black
Zelalem is african
Therefore, Zelalem is black
o All crimes are violation of law
Theft is a crime
Therefore ,theft is a violation of law
o Some crimes are misdemeanor
Murder is a crime
Therefore ,murder is misdemeanor
 Identifying conclusion and premise
 Logic: evaluates and analyses arguments
 important tasks in the analysis of arguments is to
distinguishing premises &conclusion
 two criteria are applied to identify C&P
1. looking at an indicator word
 Premise indicators words :
o Since, Because, As indicated by, May be
inferred from
o Owing to, in as much as, in that, for the reason
that
o given that, seeing that, as, for…etc.
 Conclusion indicators words :
o Therefore, Hence, So, Wherefore, Accordingly
o Whence, It follows that, It must be that, Thus
o As a result, We may infer, Consequently
Examples
o Women are mammals. Zenebech is a woman.
Therefore, Zenebech is a mammal.
o You should avoid any form of cheating on exams
because cheating on exams is punishable by the
Senate Legislation of the University.
o The development of high temperature super
conducting materials is technologically justifiable,
for such materials will allow electricity to be
transmitted without loss over great distances,
and they will pave the way for trains that levitate
magnetically.
o A Federal government usually possesses a
constitution, which guarantees power sharing
between the federal and regional governments.
This implies that distribution of power is the
salient feature of any federal government.
.
2. Inferential claims
 It refers to the reasoning process expressed by
the argument which exist between the premises
and the conclusion of arguments.
 Use this If an argument contains no indicator
words at all
 To identify P& C responding to either of the
following questions.
Which statement is claimed to follow from
others?
 What is the arguer trying to arrive at /prove?
What is the main point of the passage?
 The answers to these questions should point to the
conclusion.
Example:
o Our country should increase the quality and quantity
of its military. Ethnic conflicts are recently
intensified; boarder conflicts are escalating;
international terrorist activities are increasing.

o Socialized medicine is not recommended because it

would result in a reduction in the overall quality of
medical care available to the average citizen. In
addition, it might very well bankrupt the federal
treasury. This is the whole case against socialized
medicine in a nutshell.

o The space program deserves increased expenditures

in the years ahead. Not only does the national
defense depend up on it, but the program will more
than pay for itself in terms of technological spinoffs.
Furthermore, at current funding levels the program
cannot fullfill its anticipated potential.
 Answer:
o P1=Ethnic conflicts are recently intensified.
P2=Boarder conflicts are escalating.
P3=International terrorist activities are increasing.
C= Thus, the country should increase the quality and
quantity of its military.

o P1=Socialized medicine result in a reduction in the

overall
quality of medical care available to the average
citizen.
P2=Socialized medicine might very well bankrupt the

federal treasury.
C= therefore, Socialized medicine is not recommended
 Answer:
o P1=The national defense is dependent up on the space
program.
P2=The space program will more than pay for itself in terms of
technological spinoffs.
P3=At current funding levels the space program cannot fullfill
its anticipated potential.
C=The space program deserves increased expenditures in the
years ahead.
Self check Exercises
BOOK: concise introduction to logic
1.page 7 Exercise 1.1. LC (I)- identifying premise
and conclusion
2.Page 13 exercise 1.1. III- definition of terms
3.Page 13 exercise 1.1. IV- TRUE/False
 Techniques of Recognizing Arguments

 All passages may not contain an argument.

 To distinguish argument from non- argument
1. Existence of Indicator words
2. Existence of Inferential claim between statements
3. Know Typical Non-argumentative passages
1. Existence of indicator words
o Since Edison invented the phonograph, there
have been many technological
developments.
o Since Edison invented the phonograph, he
deserves credit for a major technological
development
2. Inferential claim
 a passage contains an argument if it purports to
prove something; if it does not do so, it does not
contain an argument.
 Any passage is labeled as an argument if and
only if it fulfills the following two conditions:
1. At least one of the statement must claim to
provide reason or evidence
2. There must be a claim that something is
followed from the evidence
Questions for discussion
o with in an argument , is it mandatory for the
Premises to present actual evidence or true
reasons to the conclusion?
o Which one should be mandatory for a passage to
be an argument: factual claim or inferential
claim?
 It is not necessary/ mandatory for the
premises to present actual evidence or true
reasons

 But at least the premises must claim to

present evidence or reasons, and there
must be a claim that the evidence or
reasons support or imply something
3. Non-argumentative passages
 Warning: contains cautionary advices
 Piece of advice : contain counseling or guidelines
 belief/ opinion: belief of someone on different
events
 Report: convey information about events
 Expository passage: topic and sub topic sentences
 Illustration: clarifying instances of different matters
 Explanation: shed light on certain phenomenon
 Conditional Statements: express cause and effect of
events
Explanation and argument:
In explanation
 two components: Explanans and
Explanandum
 Intends to shed light on some event
 The event in question is usually accepted
as a fact
Example
Cows digest grass while humans cannot, because their
Argument
digestive systems contain enzymeExplanations
not found in humans.
Premise ==== Accepted facts Explanans
Claimed to shed light on
Claimed to prove the
Conclusion Explanandum =====Accepted facts
 Conditional Statements and argument
 an “if…, then…”statement,
 has two component: “Antecedent and Consequent’’
 if antecedent then consequent or Consequent If
antecedent
 The relation between conditional statements and
arguments may now be summarized as follows:
– A single conditional statement is not an
argument.
– A conditional statement may serve as either the
premise
or the conclusion
– The inferential content of a conditional statement
may be re-expressed to form an argument.
example
If you study hard ,then you will score good grade.
 A---Sufficient condition …B:
 whenever the occurrence of ‘A’ is needed
for the occurrence of ‘B
 A is a sufficient condition for B; if A occurs, then B must
occur.
 A….Necessary condition….B:
 whenever B cannot occurred in the absence
of A.
 A is a necessary condition for B; if B occur, then A must
occur.

E.g.

• Being a dog is _____ condition for being an

animal
• Being stabbed by a knife is ____ condition for
scare to be created on your body
• Having four side is a_____for being a Square.
 Self check Exercises
BOOK: concise introduction to logic
1.page 25 Exercise 1.2. LC (I)- identifying
argument and none argument
2.Page 32 exercise 1.2. Iv- definition of
terms
3.Page 32 exercise 1.2. V- TRUE/False
TYPES OF ARGUMENTS
 Every argument involves an inferential
claim
 Depending on the inferential relation
between p & c
1. deductive argument
2. Inductive argument
1. Deductive Arguments
 Its impossible for the conclusion to be false
given that the premises are true
 conclusion follows the premise with
necessity
 involve necessary reasoning.
 Example 1: All philosophers are critical
thinkers.
Socrates is a philosopher
Therefore, Socrates is a critical
thinker
 Example2: All African footballers are blacks
Messi is an African footballer
It follows that, Messi is black
2. Inductive Arguments
 it is improbable for the conclusion to be
false given that the premises are true.
 the conclusion follow the premise only
with probability
 It involves probabilistic reasoning.
• Example1: Most African leaders are blacks.
Mandela was an African leader
Therefore, probably Mandela was
black.
• Example2: Almost all women are
mammals.
Hanan is a woman.
Hence, Hanan is a mammal.
 Differentiating Deductive and Inductive
Arguments
 criteria to differentiate DA & IA
1. The occurrence of special indicator words
• Certainly, Necessarily, Absolutely,
Definitely=deductive
• Probable‖ , Improbable, Plausible,‘ Implausible,‘‘
likely, unlikely===Inductive argument
2. The actual strength of the inferential link
between premises and conclusion
• All Ethiopian love their country.
Debebe is an Ethiopian.
Therefore, Debebe loves his country.
• majority of Ethiopian are poor.
Alamudin is an Ethiopian.
Therefore, Alamudin is poor
3. The character or form of argumentation
the arguers use
 Some typical deductive arguments
arguments based on Mathematics
argument based on definition
categorical syllogism
Hypothetical syllogism
Disjunctive Syllogism
 Some typical Inductive Arguments
Arguments of Prediction
argument from analogy
argument from authority
inductive generalization
argument based on signs
argument based on causation
 Instances of deductive argument
1. arguments based on Mathematics
 C depends on arithmetic/ geometric computation

 Exception: arguments of statistics =inductive

argument
Example:
 you can measure a square pieces of land and
after determining it is ten meter on each side
conclude that its area is a hundred square
meter.
 The sum of two odd numbers is always even.
Thus, the sum of 3 and 9 is an even number.
 Since triangle A is congruent with triangle B,
and triangle A is isosceles, it follows that
triangle B is isosceles.
2. Arguments based on definition:
 conclusion depend on the definition of some
words or phrase used in the premise
Example:
• Angel is honest; it is follows that Angel tells the
truth.
• Kebede is a physician; therefore, he is a doctor
• God is omniscient, it follows that He knows
everything
3. Categorical syllogism:
 statement begins with one of the words all,
no and some
Example:
• All Egyptians are Muslims. No Muslim is a
Christian. Hence, no Egyptian is a Christian.
4. Hypothetical Syllogism
 have conditional statement for one or both of
its premises
 “If…then statement.
IF A then B.
If B then C.
Therefore , If A then C.
Example:
P1=If you study hard, then you will graduate
with Distinction.
P2=If you graduate with Distinction, then you
will get a rewarding job.
C=Therefore, if you study hard, then you will
get a rewarding job.
5. Disjunctive Syllogism :
 begin with an “Either…or …” phrase
 Either A or B. not A .Therefore B
Example
Rewina is either Ethiopian or Eritrean.
Rewina is not Eritrean.
Therefore, Rewina is Ethiopian

Either Italy or Ethiopia won the military

incident of Adwa.
Italy did not win the military incident of Adwa.
Therefore, Ethiopia won the military incident of
Adwa
 Instances of Inductive Argumentative Forms
Arguments of Prediction
Inductive generalization
Argument from authority
Argument based on certain signs
Argument from analogy
 Argument based on causation
1. Prediction
• premises deals with some known event in
the present or the past and the conclusions
moves beyond this event to some event to
relative future
Example
• one may argue that because certain clouds
develop in the center of the highland, a rain
will fall within twenty-four hours.
• It has been raining for the whole day of this
week. This shows that it will rain for the
coming week.
2. An argument from analogy:
 depends on the existence of similarity
between two things or state of affairs
 certain conditions that affects the better-
known situation is concluded to affect the
lesser known situation
For instance
• Computer A is manufactured in 2012; easy
to access and fast in processing; Computer B
is also manufactured in 2012; easy to
access. It follows that, Computer B is also
fast in processing.
3. An inductive generalization:
 proceeds from the knowledge of a selected
sample to claim about the whole group
 Claim: Since the sample have a certain (X)
characteristics, all members of the group have
the same (X) characteristics.
For example
• one may argue that because three out of four
people in a single prison are black, one may
conclude that three-fourth of prison
populations are blacks.
4. An argument from authority:
• conclusions rest upon a statement made by some
presumed authority or witness
for instance:
• A lawyer may argue that the person is guilty
because an eye witness testifies to that effect
under oath
• all matters are made up of a small particles called
―quarks because the University Professor said so.
5. Arguments based on sign:
• Proceeds from the knowledge of a certain
sign to the knowledge the sign
symbolizes.
For instance
• after observing ‗No Parking‘ sign posted
on the side of a road, one may infer that
the area is not allowed for parking.
6. An argument based on causation:
 Depends on instances of cause and effect
which can never be known with absolute
certainty
Example
• from the knowledge that a bottle of water had
been accidentally left in the freezer overnight,
someone might conclude that it had frozen
(cause to effect ).
• after tasting a piece of chicken and finding it
dry and tough, one might conclude that it had
been overcooked ( effect to cause).
• The meat is dry so that it had been over
cooked  effect to cause
Evaluating Arguments: deductive and
inductive
 Deductive argument
Valid and invalid
sound and unsound
 Inductive argument
Strong and weak
Cogent and un-cogent
 Deductive Argument :Validity and soundness
 Valid deductive argument
 if the premises are assumed true, it is
impossible for the conclusion to be false
 conclusion follows the premises with strict
necessity
 connection b/n P&C is a matter of
certainty
 Invalid deductive argument:
 if the premises are assumed true, it is
possible for the conclusion to be false.
Examples
• All men are mammals. All bulls are men.
Therefore, all bulls are mammals.
• All philosophers are rational. Socrates was
rational. Therefore, Socrates was a
philosopher.
 validity and Truth value
 No direct relationship b/n validity and truth value of
statements
 Exception: an argument T=P & F=C is always invalid
 Therefore , An argument has the following four possibilities
Of Truth vale combinations
Premise Conclusion Valid Invalid
True True  
False False  
True False X invalid
False True  

 Validity is not determined by actual truth value of

premise/conclusion rather by FORM
 Possibility # 1: :A combination of True premises and True
conclusion allows for both valid and invalid arguments
A. Valid B. Invalid
All women are mammals. All philosophers are
critical thinkers.
My mother is a mammal. Plato was a critical
thinker.
Therefore, my mother is a woman. Therefore, Plato was a
philosopher.

 Possibility # 2: A combination of True premises and false

conclusion allows only for invalid arguments.
Invalid
All biologists are scientists.
John Nash was a scientist.
Therefore, John Nash was a biologist.
 Possibility # 3: A combination of False premises and True
conclusion allows for both valid and invalid arguments.
valid Invalid
• All birds are mammals. All birds are mammals.
• All women are birds. All ostriches are
mammals
• Therefore, all women are mammals. Therefore, all ostriches
are birds.
 Possibility # 4: A combination of False premises and False
conclusion allows for both valid and invalid arguments.
 valid Invalid
All Americans are Ethiopians. All birds are
mammals
All Egyptians are Americans. All ants are
mammals
Thus, all Egyptians are Ethiopians. Therefore, all ants
are birds.
 Soundness of deductive argument
 A sound argument is a deductive argument that is valid
and has all true premises.
 Argument is sound if
The argument is valid
It has all actually true P
 if either of these is missed the argument is
unsound
 Evaluating Inductive Arguments: Strength,
Truth
• strong inductive argument
 f they are assumed true, it is improbable for
the conclusions to be false.
 conclusion follows probably from the premises
• weak inductive argument
 if the premises are assumed true, it is probable
for the conclusions to be false.
Example
• This barrel contains one hundred apples. Eighty
apples selected at random were found tasty.
Therefore, probably all one hundred apples are
tasty
• This barrel contains one hundred apples. Three
apples selected at random were found tasty.
Therefore, probably all one hundred apples are
tasty.
 Strength and Truth Value
 No direct relationship b/n S/W and truth value of
statements
 Exception: an argument T=P & probably F=C is always
Weak
 Therefore , An argument with :

Premise Conclusion Strong Weak

True Pro. True  

False Pro. False  
True Pro. False X Weak
False Pro. True  

 Strength and weakness is not a matter of actual truth

value rather DEGEREE
 Cogency of inductive argument
 Cogent argument is strong and has all true premises.
 cogent argument has two essential features:
 Should be strong and
 all its premises should be true
 If one of these two conditions is missed, the argument
would be un-cogent.
Example:
Nearly all lemons that have been tasted were sour. Therefore,
nearly all lemons are sour.
 Benefits of learning logic
 Refine and sharpen one’s natural ability to reason and argue
 develop skill needed to evaluate & construct good arguments
 develop skill needed to construct fallacy-free arguments
 provides fundamental defense against the prejudiced and
uncivilized attitudes
 helps to distinguish good arguments from bad argument
 helps to identify confusions common logical errors
 enables us to disclose ill-conceived policies in the political
sphere
 identify and avoid common errors in reasoning
 Increase in confidence in our views in writing, speech etc.
 Helps us to become reasonable
 Improve the quality of argument we use
 Helps us to be critical thinker
 Enables us to think clearly and accurately
 Secures us from manipulations
 Helps us to make better personal decision
 Help to learn strategies for thinking and reasoning well
 overall goals of logic = producing critical, rational and
reasonable individuals(public and private life)
 Summary of chapter- one
 Logic- evaluates an argument /philosophical sdudy of
principles
 Argument –group of statements composed of P&C
 Statement – declarative sentence having a truth
value
 Non-statement – sentences which doesn’t have
T.Value
 Criteria To identify P&C: Indicator words & IN. Claim
 Criteria To distinguish argument from non- argument
 Indicator words , Inferential claim , Non-inferential
passages
 To identify deductive & inductive argument focus on:
Typical deductive
 Special Typical inductive argument
indicator words,
argument
 Actual strength
1.Argument of of IL 1.Arguments
b/n P&C , of prediction
 Nature/form/of the argument
mathematics 2.Arguments of generalization
2.Argument of definition 3.Arguments of authority
3.Categorical syllogism 4.Arguments of sign
4.Hypothetical syllogism 5.Arguments of analogy
5.Disjunctive syllogism 6.Arguments of causation
 Deductive Argument Inductive argument
________________________________________
If we assume the P=T , If we assume the P=T ,
______________________________________
IMPOSSIBLE for C=F or IMPROBABLE for C=F
______________________________________
The relationship b/n P&C The relationship b/n
is a matter of necessity P&C is a matter of
______________________________________
probability
______________________________________
The C follow the premise The C follow the premise
______________________________________
with certainty with likelihood
Valid : if we assume Strong: If we assume the
______________________________________
P=T ,its IMPOSSIBLE for P=T , IMPROBABLE for
______________________________________
the C=F C=F
Invalid :Valid : if we Weak :If we assume the
______________________________________
assume P=T ,its POSSIBLE P=T , probable for C=F
______________________________________
for the C=F
 validity is not a matter Strength/weakness is not
______________________________________
of actual truth value of a matter of actual truth
______________________________________
statements rather a mater value of statements rather
of FORM a mater of degree
Hence no direct Hence no direct
Deductive Argument INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT
SOUND : Must fulfill two COGENT : Must fulfill two
criteria criteria
1.Valid 1.Strong
2.all actually true premises 2.all actually true premises
IF fail to fulfill the above IF fail to fulfill the above
criteria=UNSOUND criteria=UNCOGENT
All SOUND arguments are All COGENT arguments are
VALID STRONG arguments
arguments
All INVALID arguments are All WEAK arguments are
UNCOGENT arguments
UNSOUND arguments
VALID argument can be STRONG argument can be
UN/SOUND depending on UN/COGENT depending on
the the
actual truth value of its actual truth value of its
statements statements
THANK YOU!
Chapter two

Logic and Language

 Chapter two
Logic and Language
Function of Language
Cognitive meaning/function
Emotive meaning/function

Examples:
The first written constitution of Ethiopia was
formulated in 1931.
However the first federal constitution is
effected since 1995.
Death Penalty is the final, cruel and inhuman
form of all punishments where hapless
prisoners are taken from their cells and terribly
slaughtered
Intentional and extensional meaning of terms
Terms made up of words - serve as a
subject of a statement
Terms includes:
proper names,
common names
 descriptive phrases
Words - symbols and the entity they
symbolize- meaning.
terms have two kind of meaning :
 Intensional meaning
Extensional meanings
  Intentional meaning of terms
 Attribute of the term being connoted
 subjective : vary from person to person.
 To avoid subjective meaning - conventional
connotation
 can be expressed in terms of increasing and
decreasing intentions
 Increasing intention:
 each term in the series connotes
more attribute than the one
preceding it.
Decreasing intention:
each term in the series connotes less
attribute than the one preceding it.
  Extensional [denotative] meaning of terms
 Refers to the members that the term denotes
 remains the same to all but
 may be changed with the passage of time – Empty
extension.
 can be expressed in terms of increasing /decreasing
extension.
 Increasing extension: each term in the series denotes
more members than the one preceding it
 Decreasing extension: each term in the series denotes
less members than the one preceding it
 Intentional meaning determines extensional meaning of
terms
  Types of definition and their purpose
1. Stipulative definitions
 Assign meaning for the first time
 Names are assigned arbitrarily &
 caused by new phenomena and developments
 Definition/statements doesn’t have truth value
 Purpose : simplifying complex expressions
 used to set up new secret codes
Examples:
- Logphobia” means fear of taking logic course.
- A male tiger + female lion =tigon
- Operation Barbarossa – Nazi invasion of USSR
- Operation sunset – Ethio-Eritrea war(1998)
2. Lexical definitions:
 It reports the meaning of the word actually
exist in dictionary
 Provides Dictionary meaning of terms
 Purpose: to avoid ambiguity
Examples:
3. Precise definition:
 Intended to reduce vagueness
 Definition should be appropriate and legitimate
to the context in which the term is employed
Examples
- High” means, in regard to the interest rates, at
least two points
above the prime rate
- “Antique” means, at least 100 years old
4. Theoretical definition :
 Assign meaning to a word by suggesting
theories
 theoretical definitions provide a way for
further experimental investigations
Example : ‘’Heat” means the energy associated
with the random motion of molecules
5. Persuasive definition
 Purpose: to engender a Un/favorable
attitudes
 To influence attitude of reader/ listeners
 Use value laden[emotively charged] words
  Extensional definition techniques
1. Ostensive[demonstrative] technique
 Is the traditional way of defining terms
 Use pointing as a technique to define terms
 Is limited by time and space
2. Enumerative technique
 Assign meaning by naming members individually
 It can be partial or complete
3. Definition by subclass
 Assign meaning by naming the subclass of the
class.
 it can be partial or complete
Example :Tree” means an Oak, Eucalyptus, olive,
juniper
  Intentional definitional techniques
1. Synonyms definition
 The definiens is a synonym of the word being defined
 Single word is highly appropriate
Example :“Obese” Means fat
2. An etymological definition
 Assign meanings to a word by disclosing its ancestry
 enables us to get the historical details of the word
Example: “Virtue” is derived from Latin virtues- means
strength.
3. Operational definition
 gives meaning by setting experimental procedures
 It prescribes the operation to be performed
 bring abstract Concepts to the empirical reality
Example: A solution is “acid” if and only if litmus paper
turned red when dipped into it.
4. Definition by genus and difference
 To construct this definition
 identify the genus & specific difference
 Most effective of all intentional definitions
Examples:
Species Difference Genus
- “Ice” means frozen water.
- “Father” means a male head of the family
Thank you!
 Chapter 4
Critical thinking
Meaning of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking can be defined
as (refers to) :
 Involving or Exercising skilled judgment
 thinking clearly and intelligently
 Wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual
dispositions
o Identify /classify
o Evaluate:
o Analyze:
o Understand:
o Synthesize:
o Criticize
 Critical thinking is to think
o Clearly:
o Actively:
o Persistent fairly:
o rationally:
john Dewey:
o Critical thinking is active, persistent, careful
consideration of issues/belief in different grounds
For Robert Ennis:
o Critical thinking is reasonable, and
reflective thinking focusing on
decide what you believe or to do
(decision making)
For Richard Paul:
o critical thinking is model of
thinking which focus in reflecting
on thoughts
- having ability of thinking
Critical thinking helps us to:
 discovers & overcomes personal preconceptions or
prejudice
 formulate & provide convincing reason and
justifications to
 make reasonable/rational decision about what we
believe /d
 impartially investigate data and facts not swayed by
emotion
 arrive at well-reasoned, sound and justifiable
conclusion
 Standards of CT
CT is normal and acceptable if it
fulfills the following standards
1. Clarity
2. Precision
3. Accuracy
4. Relevance
5. Consistency
6. Logical Correctness
7. Completeness
8. Fairness
1. Clarity
o Clear understanding of concepts
o Expression should free of vagueness and ambiguity
o CT strive both for clarity of language & thought

2. Precision
o being exact, accurate and careful
o reducing vague and obscures thoughts
o Provide precise answer to precise questions of life

3. Accuracy
o Having correct and genuine information
o CT value truth, accurate and timely information
o Every decision should be made based on true
information
o If the input is false information, decision will not be
sound
4. Relevance
o It’s an issue of connection
o focus on Significant ideas logical to the issue at
hand
o focus should be given to the issue at hand

5. Consistency
o Quality of always behaving in the same way
o following same standards in decisions making
o There are two kinds of inconsistency that we
should avoid
- Logical inconsistency
- Practical inconsistency:

6. Logical Correctness
o To think logically it reason correctly
o To draw well-founded conclusions from
belief/information
o Conclusions should logically follow believes/ideas
or evidence
7. Completeness
o deep and complete thinking to shallow and
superficial thinking
8. Fairness
o Treat all relevant views alike
o thinking should be based on
 fair
 open mindedness,
 Impartiality and
o thinking should be free
 distortion,
 Biasedness
 Preconceptions,
 Inclinations,
 Personal interests
Principles of Good Argument
1.The Structural Principle
Use arguments that meet
fundamental structural
requirement
valid form is the First
requirement for argument to be
good (deductive)
• don’t use reason that contradict to each other (avoid
invalid inference)
• conclusion should follow the premise with strict necessity
2. The Relevance Principle
One who argues in favor or
against a position……?
o Set forth premise whose Truth provides evidence for
the truth of the conclusion
o Premise is relevant if its provides logical reason to the
conclusion
o basic question
- Does the truth of the premise support the truth of
the conclusion?
3. The Acceptability Principle
 Premise must provide evidence that can be accepted
by a mature, rational person
 If the reason has the capability to convince a rational
person to accept conclusion

4. The Sufficiency Principle

 Premise provides sufficient reason that outweigh the
acceptance of the conclusion.
 Questions to test sufficiency of evidence
o Are the available reasons enough to drive someone
to conclusion?
o are key or crucial evidence missing from the
argument ?
5. the Rebuttal Principle
Person should provide effective
rebuttal (refutation) to all
anticipated serious criticisms of an
argument raised against it.
good argument effectively refute
criticisms raised against it
Ask and answer following
questions in applying the rebuttal
principle to an argument.
o What is the strongest side of arguments against the
position being defended?
Principles of Critical Thinking
1. The Fallibility Principle
Willingness of participants in an
argument to acknowledge his/her
fallibility
Accept one ‘s own initial view
thay may not be the most
defensible position on the issue
Consciously accept that your
view may wrong - willing to
change your mind
2. The Truth-Seeking Principle
participant should be committed to search
truth
one should be willing to
o Examine alternative positions seriously
o look for insights and positions of others
o Allow others to present arguments for or
against issue
The search for truth is lifelong endeavor and
can be attained if:
o We discuss and entertain the ideas and
arguments of fellow
o We listen arguments for positions and
o Have Willingness to look at all available
options
o
3. The Clarity Principle
Formulations of all positions, defenses, and
attacks should be free of any kind of linguistic
confusion
discussion is successful if it carried on in
language that all the parties involved can
understand
expressing in confusing, vague, ambiguous,
or contradictory language will not help reach
the desired goal
4. The Burden of Proof Principle
Burden of proof rests on the participant who
sets forth the position or argument
Participant is logically obligated to produce
reasons in favor of his claim

5. The Principle of Charity
If the participant ‘s argument is
reformulated by an opponent, it
should be carefully expressed in
its strongest possible version
(intension of the original
argument)
Opponent has an obligation of
interpreting a speaker's
statements in the most rational
way, considering its best
6. The Suspension of Judgment
Principle
suspend judgment about the
issue if
o no position is defended by good argument, or
o two or more positions seem to be defended with
equal strength
o one has no good basis (evidence) for making a
decision

To make decision: relative

benefits or harm of (consequence)
should also take in to
consideration
Why are issues not resolved?
When
o When One or more of the parties to the dispute:
 has a blind spot: not objective about the issue at hand
and rational but not psychologically convinced by the
discussion
 have been rationally careless
 has a hidden agenda
 not being honest with themselves
o are in deep disagreement of underlying assumptions
 CHAPTER THREE
INFORMAL FALLACY
 Argument:
 argument can be good/bad, depending on the r/p b/ n the
P&C
 Good argument meets all the required criteria
 A good argument:
• Structurally good form
• Has relevant , acceptable & sufficient premise
• provide an effective rebuttal to all reasonable
 An argument violates the above it becomes fallacious
 fallacy
 logical defect or flaw in reasoning process in ana
argument
o (bad) form of the argument
o (bad) defects in the contents of the statements
 violation of standard argumentative rules or criteria.
 Both deductive and inductive arguments may contain
fallacies
 People may commit fallacy intentionally or unintentionally
 Depending on the kind of the defects they contain:
1. Formal fallacy:
 due to structural defect
 found only in deductive argument with identifiable form
 Easily identifiable by their form
 Hence, deductive arguments with invalid form
Example:
– All tigers are animals. All mammals are animals.
Therefore, all tigers are mammals.
2. Informal fallacy :
 due to bad content
 found in both deductive and inductive arguments
 Cannot be identified through inspection of the form
 Identifiable through detail analysis of content
Example:
• All factories are plants. All plants are things that contain
chlorophyll. Therefore, all factories are things that contain
chlorophyll
 Informal fallacies are Classified in to:
1. Fallacies of relevance
 have logically irrelevant but psychologically relevant
premise to conclusion
2. Fallacies of weak induction
 have logically relevant premise but with no sufficient
evidence
3. Fallacies of presumption
 Premise contains an assumptions which isn't
supported by evidence
4. Fallacies of ambiguity
 Conclusion drawn from ambiguous used words and
phrases
5. Fallacies of grammatical analogy
 Structurally, looks good argument but has bad
content
 Fallacy of relevance
 Premise is logically irrelevant to the conclusion
 but psychologically premise is relevant to the
conclusion
 conclusion does not follow the premise logically
 Unlike in good argument(genuine evidence) in
fallacy of relevance- emotional appeal
 Hence, connection between P&C is emotional
 It includes fallacies of :
1. Appeal to force- employ threat
2. Appeal to pity- evoke pity
3. Appeal to the people – manipulate desire of
people
• bandwagon –-----majority’s choice
• vanity-------------celebrity /public figure

• snobbery - -------status/ privilege

4. Against the person
• Ad hominem abusive
• Ad hominem circumstantial
• Ad hominem tu qoque
5. Accident – misapplication of G.R to specific
case
6. Straw man –distortion of original argument
7. Missing the point- C misses logical evidence
of P
8. Red herring – diverting attention of L/R to
ward new
issue
1.Appeal to force or stick fallacy
 arguer poses C by employing threats on L/R
 Always involves using threat
• physical (explicit force/threat)
• psychological (implicit force/threat)
 threat is logically irrelevant to conclusion

Examples :
1. Mr. Kebde you have accused me of fraud and
embezzlements. You have to drop the charge you
filed against me. You have to remember that I am
your ex-boss; I will torture both you and your family
members if you do not drop your case. Got it?

2. Child to playmate: ‘‘Josy in the house’’ is the best

show on TV; and if you don’t believe it, I’m going to
call my big brother over here and he’s going to beat
you up.
3. Lately there has been a lot of negative
criticism of our policy on dental benefits. Let
me tell you something, people. If you want to
keep working here, you need to know that
our policy is fair and reasonable. I won't has
anybody working here who doesn't know this

4. Secretary to boss: I deserve a raise in salary

for the coming year. After all, you know how
friendly I am with your wife, and I’m sure you
wouldn’t want her to find out what has been
going on between you and that sexpot client
of yours. (Psychological threat)
2. Appeal to Pity
 support a conclusion merely by evoking pity in
one ‘s audience
 if the arguer succeeds in evoking strong feelings
of pity, the listeners may deceived to accept the
conclusion with out logical evidence

Example:
o The Headship position in the department of accounting
should be given to Mr. Oumer Abdulla. Oumer has six
hungry children to feed and his wife desperately needs an
operation to save her eyesight.

o Taxpayer to judge: Your Honor, I admit that I declared

thirteen children as dependents on my tax return, even
though I have only two. But if you find me guilty of tax
evasion, my reputation will be ruined. I’ll probably lose
my job, my poor wife will not be able to have the
operation that she desperately needs, and my kids will
starve. Surely I am not guilty.
 There are arguments from pity, which are
reasonable and plausible which is called
argument compassion
 Most society values helping people in time of
danger and
 showing compassion and sympathy is a natural
response in some situation.
 If some group of people are in danger, helping
out may require appeal to the compassion

Consider the following argument.

• Twenty children survive earthquakes that kill
most people in the village. These children lost
their parents. They are out of school, and home
in the street. Unless we each of us contribute
money, their life will be in danger in the coming
days. We should help these children as much as
we can.
3. Appeal to the People
 Naturally, everyone wants to be accepted, loved, and
esteemed by others.
 However, the problem lies on how to secure this desire.
 Committed when an arguer draw a conclusion by
manipulating the desire of the people using different
techniques
 Arguers illogically attempt to exploit the desire/emotion of
the people for some private motives
 claim : if you want to be member of the group , accept xyz
as true
 Two approaches
o Direct approach
• Arguer address a large group of people, excites the
emotions and enthusiasm of the crowd to win
acceptance for his or her conclusion.
• Objective-----arouse mob mentality
• individuals in the audience want to share the
excitement and find themselves accepting any
number of conclusions with ever-increasing fervor
• usually employed by speakers, propagandists,
politicians
 Indirect approach :
 arguer appeal not at the crowd as a whole
but at individuals separately who have
relationship to the crowd
 Used by industries to advertise their product
• Using emotively charged terminologies
• Capability to attract people towards the
product or issue
 Three varieties
i. appeal to bandwagon
ii. Appeal to vanity
iii. Appeal to snobbery
i. Appeal to Bandwagon
 commonly appeals to the desire of individuals to be
considered as part of the group or community in which they
are living
 community or group shares some common values and
norms
 Hence, every individual is expected to manifest group
conformity to these shared values
 Bandwagon uses these emotions and feelings to get
acceptance for a certain conclusion
Example: The majority of people in Ethiopia accept the opinion
that child
circumcision is the right thing to do. Thus, you
also should accept
that child circumcision is the right thing to do.
 In advertising ,the issue is intentionally Attached with
majority section of society– and others are urged to follow
the decision of majority

Example : Of course you want to buy Zest toothpaste. Why, 90

percent of America brushes with Zest
 Appeal to Vanity
 Arguer associates the product with someone who is
admired, pursued and people
 Claim: if you use the product which is used by some one
respected by the people ,you will be respected too.
Example: BBC may show the famous footballer, Frank
Lampard, wearing
Adidas shoe, and says: Wear this new fashion
shoe! A shoe, which is
worn only by few respected celebrities!
ADIDDAS SHOE!!!
 Appeal to snobbery
 arguer associates the issue with persons who have high
social status(higher class)
 Claim: ‘if you want to be a member of the selected few,
you should accept XYZ.’
Example: A Rolls Royce is not for everyone. If you qualify
as one of the select few, this (distinguished classic may
be seen and driven at British Motor Cars, Ltd. (By
appointment only, please.)
4. Argument against the person
 Normally in a good argument, to achieve collaborative
goals arguers are expected to:
o observe rules of polite conversation
o to trust each other and express their
arguments/position clearly and honestly
o focus on attacking the content of the argument
than personality of opponents
 But arguers focus on attacking personality of
opponents than the content of the argument---against
the person fallacy
 Occurred when an arguer discredits an argument by
attacking the personality of his opponent
 always two arguers
 three forms of against the person:
i. Ad hominem abusive
ii.Ad hominem circumstantial
iii.Tu quoque (you too)
i. Fallacy of ad hominem abusive
 Committed when an arguer rejects an argument by
verbally abusing the personality of his opponent rather
than the contents of his opponent’s argument
 second person rejects the first person ‘s argument by
verbally abusing the first person
 Premise: A is a person of bad character
 Conclusion: A‟s argument should not be accepted.
Examples:
• In defending animal rights, Mr. Abebe argues that the
government should legislate a minimum legal requirement
to any individuals or groups who want to farm animals. He
argues that this is the first step in avoiding unnecessary
pain on animals and protecting them from abuse. But we
should not accept his argument because he is a divorced
drunk person who is unable to protect even his own family.

• Mr. Abebe has argued for increased funding for the

disabled. But nobody should listen to his argument. Mr.
Abebe is a slob who cheats on his wife, beats his wife, ,
and kids, and never pays his bills on time.
ii. Fallacy of ad hominem Circumstantial
committed when an arguer discredits the argument of his
opponent by alluding the argument with certain circumstances
that affect his opponents
easy to recognize because it always take this form: ‘Of
course, Mr. X argues this way; just look at the circumstances
that affect him.’

Example:
•Haileselassie I of Ethiopia argued in the League of Nations that
member states should give hand to Ethiopia to expel the
fascist Italy from the country. But the member states should
not listen to the king. Haileselassie I argue in this way because
he wants to resume his power once the Italian are expelled
from Ethiopia

•Ato Mohammed has just argued to replace the public school

system with private school system. But, of course, he argues
that way. He has no kids, and he does not want to pay any
more taxes for public education.
iii. tu quoque (you too) fallacy
 second arguer attempts to make the first appear to be
hypocritical or arguing in bad fait
 This fallacy has the following form: ‘How dare you argue
that I should stop doing X; why you do (have done) X
yourself?’
 So, arguer(2nd ) discredits the argument of an opponent
by claiming that the idea he advance as false and
contrary with what he has said or done before
Example:
• Patient to a Doctor: Look Doctor, you cannot advise me to
quit smoking cigarette because you yourself is a smoker.
• How do you advise me to quit smoking while you yourself
are smoking?
• Child to parent: Your argument that I should stop stealing
candy from the corner store is no good. just a week ago
You told me you, too, stole candy when you were a kid.
 Are all arguments against the person fallacious? They are
not. There are reasonable arguments against the person
5. Accident
 committed when a general rule is applied to a
specific case it was not intended to cover

Example:
o Freedom of speech is a constitutionally guaranteed
right. Therefore, John Q. Radical should not be arrested
for his speech that incited riot last week.

o Property should be returned to its rightful owner.

That drunken sailor who is starting a fight with his
opponents at the pool table lent you his 45-caliber
pistol, and now he wants it back. Therefore, you
should return it to him now.
6. Straw Man
 committed when an arguer distorts an opponent‘s
argument for the purpose of more easily attacking it.
 main features of straw man fallacy
 First, there are always two individuals discussing
about controversial issues: One(1st arguer) of the
arguers presents his views about the issues and the
other(2nd arguer) is a critic
 Second, the 2nd arguer does not rationally criticize
the main argument of the opponent Rather
misrepresented ideas of original argument.
 Third the 2nd person concludes by criticizing the
misrepresented idea
 When the fallacy of straw man occurs readers should
keep in mind two things.
– First, they have to try to identify the original
argument, which is misrepresented by the critic.
– Second, they should look for what gone wrong in
the misrepresentation of the argument.
Example:
•Mr. Belay believes that ethnic federalism has just
destroyed the country and thus it should be replaced by
geographical federalism. But we should not accept his
proposal. Geographical federalism was the kind of state
structure during Derg and monarchical regime which
suppress right of national nationalities and peoples of
Ethiopia.

•Mr. Goldberg has argued against prayer in the public

schools. Obviously, Mr. Gold-berg advocates atheism.
But atheism is what they used to have in Russia. Atheism
leads to the suppression of all religions and the
replacement of God by an omnipotent state. Is that what
we want for this country? I hardly think so. Clearly Mr.
Goldberg’s argument is nonsense.
7. Missing the point
premise of an argument supports a conclusion which is
different but vaguely related to the correct one (cocnclusion)
If one suspects that such fallacy is committed, he or she
should identify the correct conclusion, the conclusion that the
premises logically imply

arguer is ignorant of the logical implications of his or her own

premises and draws a conclusion that misses the point entirely

Examples
•The world is in the process of globalizing more than ever. The world
economy is becoming more and more interconnected. Multinational
companies and supra national institutions are taking power from local
companies and national governments. The livelihood of people is
randomly affected by action and decision made on the other side of
the planet and this process benefits only the rich nations at the
expense of the poor. What should be done? The answer is obvious:
poor nations should detach themselves from the process.
•Crimes of theft and robbery have been increasing at an alarming rate
lately. The conclusion is obvious: we must reinstate the death penalty
immediately.
8. Red Herring
arguer diverts the attention of the L/R by
changing the original subject in to totally
different issue
arguer ignores the main topic and shifts the
attention of his audiences to another totally
different issue
Draws conclusion from the changed issue
arguer mislead L/R using two different
techniques
 change the subject to one that is subtly
related to the original subject
 change the subject to some flashy, eye-
catching topic that distract the attention of
the L/R
procedure used
to train hunting
dogs
Example:
Environmentalists are continually harping about the
dangers of nuclear power. Unfortunately, electricity is
dangerous no matter where it comes from. Every year
hundreds of people are electrocuted by accident. Since most of
these accidents are caused by carelessness, they could be
avoided if people would just exercise greater caution.

There is a good deal of talk these days about the need to

eliminate pesticides from our fruits and vegetables. But many
of these foods are essential to our health. Carrots are an
excellent source of vitamin A, broccoli is rich in iron, and
oranges and grapefruits have lots of vitamin C.
 To differentiate SM,RH & MP fallacies ……..
1. both red herring and straw man proceed by
generating a new set of premises
- but Missing the point draws a conclusion
from the original premises
2. In both red herring and straw man, the
conclusion is relevant to the premises from
which it’s drawn
- But in missing the point, the conclusion is
irrelevant to the premises from which it’s
drawn
2. Fallacies of Weak Induction
occurred due to weak connection between the
P&C
Premises is relevant to the C but doesn’t
contains sufficient evidence
Includes six fallacies :
 Appeal to unqualified authority
 C cites statement of others
 Appeal to ignorance
 lack of proof definitely supports a
conclusion
 Hasty generalization
 C depends on insufficient info. and
unrepresentative sample
 Fallacy of weak Analogy
 C depends on insignificant similarity
two events
 Slippery slope fallacy
C depends on alleged chain reaction
with less probability to happen in reality
 False cause fallacy
C depends on imagined causal
connection which may not happen in
reality
9. Appeal to unqualified authority
 Arguer draws conclusion by citing the idea of
unqualified authority whose idea is untrustworthy
.
 A person is unqualified authority when he/she:
 lacks the expertise/Profession
 make biased or prejudiced judgment
 Has the motive to lie or
 Has the motive to disseminate
“misinformation”
 lacks the ability to perceive or recall things
Example:
A. Dr. Bradshaw, our family physician, has
stated that the creation of muonic atoms of
deuterium and tritium hold the key to
producing a sustained nuclear fusion reaction
at room temperature. In view of Dr. Bradshaw’s
expertise as a physician, we must conclude that
this is indeed true.

B. David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku

Klux Klan, has stated, ‘‘Jews are not good
Americans. They have no understanding of what
America is.’’ On the basis of Duke’s authority,
we must therefore conclude that the Jews in
this country are un-American
C. Old Mrs. Ferguson (who is practically blind) has
testified that she saw the defendant stab the
victim with a bayonet while she was standing in
the twilight shadows 100 yards from the incident.
Therefore, members of the jury, you must find
the defendant guilty

D. James W. Johnston, Chairman of R. J. Reynolds

Tobacco Company, testified before Congress that
tobacco is not an addictive substance and that
smoking cigarettes does not produce any
addiction. Therefore, we should believe him and
conclude that smoking does not in fact lead to
any addiction.
10. Appeal to Ignorance
committed when one’s ignorance, lack of evidence and
Lack of knowledge definitely supports the conclusion
premises state that nothing has been proved
about something but the conclusion makes a
definite assertion about that thing.
committed when Someone argues that:
 Something(X) is true because no one has
proved it to be false or
 Something(X) is false because no one has
proved it to be true
 Group of people have been conducted
research for decades to check the existence
of ‘X’ but all failed to do so. Therefore ‘X’
doesn’t exist.
Examples:
a.Nobody has ever proved the existence of UFO.
Therefore, UFO doesn’t exist.
b.People have been trying for centuries to
disprove the claims of astrology, and no one has
ever succeeded. Therefore, we must conclude that
the claim of astrology is true.
Exceptions
1. If group of experts/scientist investigate
something in their own area of expertise and
found nothing
example :
Teams of scientists attempted over a number of
decades to detect the existence of the UFO and all
failed to do so. Therefore, UFO does not exist.
2. Legal [court room] procedure
example :
 Members of the jury, you have heard the
prosecution present its case against the
defendant. Nothing, however, has been proved
beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, under
the law, the defendant is not guilty.
3. There are also cases where mere see and
reporting are enough or sufficient to prove
something which needs no expertise
example :
 No one has ever seen Mr. Andrews drink a glass
of wine, beer, or any other alcoholic beverage.
Probably Mr. Andrews is a nondrinker.
11. Hasty Generalization
arguer draws conclusion based on insufficient
information and unrepresentative sample or
occurs when there is a reasonable likelihood
that the sample is not representative of the
group
Sample non representative when
 sample is too small or
 sample [large but] not selected randomly
Committed by individuals who develop a
negative attitude or prejudice towards others
Example:
Six Arab fundamentalists were convicted of
bombing the World Trade Center in New York
City. The message is clear: Arabs are nothing but
a pack of religious fanatics prone to violence.
12. False Cause fallacy
conclusion depends on some imagined
causal connection of events which may not
exist in reality
Depends on ‘X’ causes ‘Y’ while ‘X’ may
not probably cause ‘Y’ to happen at all
three varieties of false cause fallacy
 Post hoc ergo propter hoc
 Non Causa pro Causa
 Oversimplified Cause
 Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy
 Means After this, on account of this
 Depends on temporal succession of events
 ‘Y’ is caused by ‘X’, because ‘X’ exist before ‘y’
Example
• During the past two months, every time that the
cheerleaders have worn blue ribbons in their hair,
the basketball team has been defeated.
Therefore, to prevent defeats in the future, the
cheerleaders should get rid of those blue ribbons.
 occurs in cultural superstition -associate with
bad luck
Example
• ‘‘A black cat crossed my path and later I tripped
and sprained my ankle. It must be that black cats
really are bad luck.’’
 Non Causa pro Causa Fallacy
 Means ‘Not the cause for the cause’
 Occurred when conclusion depends on either
 coincidental occurrence of events or
 Mistake cause for an effect
Examples
• There are more churches in Ethiopia today than
ever before and more HIV victims ever before;
so, to eliminate the epidemic we must abolish
the church.
• Successful business executives are paid salaries
in excess of $50,000. Therefore, the best way to
ensure that Ferguson will become a successful
executive is to raise his salary to at least
$50,000.
Oversimplified Cause Fallacy
 Multitude of causes are responsible for a certain
effect but the arguer selects just one of these
causes and represents it as the sole cause

Example
o The quality of education in our grade
schools and high schools has been
declining for years. Clearly, our
teachers just aren’t doing their job
these days.
13. Slippery Slope fallacy
a variety of false cause fallacies
event ‘X’ is the cause of event ‘Y’….. but it
takes place in a series of events or actions
conclusion of an argument rests upon an
alleged chain reaction but not sufficient to
think that the chain reaction will actually
happen
The first event is taken as cause fall all
the event to happen in a series
Example:
B Immediate steps should be taken to outlaw
pornography once and for all. The continued
manufacture and sale of pornographic material
will almost certainly lead to an increase in sex-
related crimes such as rape and incest. This in
turn will gradually erode the moral fabric of
society and result in an increase in crimes of all
sorts. Eventually a complete disintegration of
law and order will occur, leading in the end to
the total collapse of civilization.
14. Fallacy of Weak Analogy
arguer draws conclusion depending on
insignificant similarities of two or more things
The similarity between two things is not
strong enough to support the conclusion
The basic structure of the fallacy
» Entity A has attributes a, b, c and
z
» Entity B has attributes a, b, c
» Therefore, entity B probably has
attribute z.
Example:
2. Harper’s new car is bright blue, has leather upholstery, and gets
excellent gas mile age. Crowley’s new car is also bright blue and
has leather upholstery. Therefore, it probably gets excellent gas
mileage, too.
But If some causal or systematic relation
exists between z and a, b, or c, the
argument is strong- commits no fallacy
Examples
oThe flow of electricity through a wire is similar to the flow of
water through a pipe. Obviously, a large-diameter pipe will carry a
greater flow of water than a pipe of small diameter. Therefore, a
large-diameter wire should carry a greater flow of electricity than
a small-diameter wire.

oThe flow of electricity through a wire is similar to the flow of

water through a pipe. When water runs downhill through a pipe,
the pressure at the bottom of the hill is greater than it is at the
top. Thus, when electricity flows downhill through a wire, the
voltage should be greater at the bottom of the hill than at the top.
3.3 Fallacies of Presumption
To presume means to take something for
granted or
to assume a given idea as true (while in fact not
true)
The assumption given in the premise is not
supported by proof but arguer invite the
audiences to accept as it is.
Arguer uses confusing expressions-to conceal
the wrong assumption
Contains fallacies of:
 Begging the question
 Complex question
 False dichotomy
 Suppressed evidence
15. Begging the Question
Arguer uses confusing phraseology
Presumes that the premises provide adequate support
for the conclusion
Arguer creates the illusion by stating the inadequate
evidence as adequate to the conclusion by
 Leaving out a key premise- nothing more is
needed to establish the conclusion
 Restating the premise as a conclusion - using
different words
 Reasoning in a circle- not clear where it begins
&ends
Chxs:
 Has a valid form
 Contains phraseology that conceal faulty
reasoning
The actual source of support for the conclusion is not
apparent
 Leaving out a key premise
Example: Murder is morally wrong. This
being the case, it
follows that abortion is morally
wrong
 Restating the Premise as a Conclusion
Example: Capital punishment is justified for
the crimes of murder and kidnapping
because it is quite legitimate and
appropriate that someone be put to death
for having committed such hateful and
inhuman acts.
 Reasoning in a circle.
16. Complex Question
Arguer asks a single question (that is really
two or more) and a single answer is then applied
to both question
Oblige the L/R to acknowledge about
something that he or she doesn't want to
acknowledge
Example:
- Have you stopped cheating on exams?
•You were asked whether you have stopped
cheating on exams. You answered ‘‘yes.’’
Therefore, it follows that you have cheated in
the past.
17. False Dichotomy
Premise of an argument presents two
alternatives as if they are jointly exhaustive
the arguer attempt to delude the reader or
listener into thinking that there is no third
alternative
Examples:
•Either you buy only Ethiopian-made products or
you don’t deserve to be called a loyal Ethiopian.
Yesterday you bought new Chinese jeans.
Therefore, you don’t deserve to be called a
loyal Ethiopian
18. Suppressed Evidence
arguer draws conclusion by ignoring the key
premise that
outweighs the conclusion
it works by creating the presumption that the
premises are
both true and complete when in fact they are
not
Common in advertisements/ads/

Example:
•The new RCA Digital Satellite System delivers
sharp TV reception from an 18-inch dish antenna,
and it costs only $199. Therefore, if we buy it, we
can enjoy all the channels for a relatively small
one-time investment
 3.4 Fallacies of Ambiguity
 conclusion of an argument depends on either
 a shift in meaning of an ambiguous word or
 wrong interpretation of an ambiguous statement

19. Equivocation
 conclusion depends on meaning of word which is
used in two different senses
Examples:
o Some triangles are obtuse. Whatever is obtuse is
ignorant.
Therefore, some triangles are ignorant.
o Any law can be repealed by the legislative
authority. But the
law of gravity is a law. Therefore, the law of
gravity can be
repealed by the legislative authority.
20. Amphiboly
arguer draw a conclusion depending on
misinterpreted statement
The original statement- asserted by someone
ambiguity usually arises from :
 a mistake in grammar , punctuation—a
missing comma, a dangling modifier
 an ambiguous antecedent of a pronoun etc.
So the statement may be understood in two
clearly distinguishable ways.
examples:
oJohn told Henry that he had made a mistake. It
follows that
John has at least the courage to admit his own
mistakes.
 Difference between Amphiboly & equivocation
 Equivocation – due to ambiguity in meaning of
words but
 Amphiboly – due to ambiguity in a statement
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
 Equivocation –involves a mistake made by the
arguer when he constructs an argument
 Amphiboly – involves mistake made by the
arguer in interpreting an ambiguous
statement made by someone else
3.5 Fallacies of Grammatical Analogy
are grammatically similar to other
arguments that are good in every respect
It include fallacies of
 composition
 division
21. Composition
conclusion depends on the erroneous
transference of attribute from parts to whole
Examples:
•Each atom in this piece of chalk is invisible.
Therefore, the chalk is invisible.
•Sodium and chlorine, the atomic components of
salt, are both deadly poisons. Therefore, salt is a
deadly poison.
But if the transference of attribute from part –
whole is legitimate - commits no fallacy
Example:
•Every atom in this piece of chalk has mass.
Therefore, the piece of chalk has mass.
22. Division
conclusion depends on the erroneous
transference of attribute from whole to part
An illegitimate transference of attribute from
whole to part
Examples:
•Salt is a nonpoisonous compound. Therefore,
its component elements, sodium and chlorine
are nonpoisonous.
But when the transference of attribute from
the whole to part is legitimate , it doesn’t
commit fallacy
Example:
•This piece of chalk has a mass. Therefore, the
atoms of this piece of chalk has mass as well
 To distinguish composition & Hasty
generalization , Examine the conclusion of the
argument
 If the conclusion of an argument is a general
statement- hasty generalization
 If the conclusion of an argument is class
statement-composition
 To distinguish division & accident, examine the
premise of the argument.
 If the premises contain a general statement-
Accident
 if the premise contain a class statement-
Division