Time to become an argument detective! You've mastered deductive and inductive reasoning. Now let's learn to map arguments visually, connecting premises to conclusions like a detective following clues.

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Ready to expose hidden gaps in reasoning?

Think of arguments like bridges. Premises are your starting point, conclusions are your destination. But sometimes there are missing planks that make the bridge unsafe!

Mapping helps you spot these gaps before you "cross the bridge" and accept the conclusion.

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Can you think of a time you accepted a conclusion too quickly?

Let's start simple. Here's an argument: "Sarah exercises daily. Therefore, Sarah is healthy."

The premise (Sarah exercises daily) connects to the conclusion (Sarah is healthy). But what's the missing link?

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What assumption connects daily exercise to being healthy?

The hidden assumption is "People who exercise daily are healthy." Without this assumption, the argument has a gap! The premise doesn't directly lead to the conclusion.

This is why mapping matters - it reveals what's really being assumed.

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Does this make sense?

Here's another example: "It's cloudy outside. We should bring umbrellas."

Premise: It's cloudy. Conclusion: Bring umbrellas. But what's the missing connection?

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What unstated assumption links clouds to needing umbrellas?

The missing link is "Cloudy weather often means rain" and "Rain requires umbrellas." These unstated assumptions complete the argument chain.

When assumptions are reasonable, arguments are strong. When assumptions are questionable, arguments crumble.

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How do you decide if an assumption is reasonable?

Type

Fill In The Blanks

Markdown With Blanks

Let's practice mapping an argument. Fill in the missing links to complete this argument chain:

"My friend recommended this restaurant. [[blank:Friends]] are trustworthy. [[blank:Trustworthy]] people give good recommendations. [[blank:Therefore]] this restaurant is probably good."

Suggested Answers

• Friends
• Trustworthy
• Therefore

Type

Multiple Choice

Practice Question

Time to identify missing assumptions! Which statement reveals the hidden assumption in this argument: "The parking lot is full. The movie must be popular."

A. Full parking lots always indicate popular movies B. This movie theater only shows popular movies C. Popular movies typically fill parking lots D. The parking lot is always full on weekends

Suggested Answers

• A
• B
• C - Correct
• D