This
argument is a little different than others we’ve seen.
The
arguments in examples 1-5 had only premises (ideas which are taken for granted
by the argument) and an ultimate conclusion (the idea which the argument is
trying to prove). They didn’t have subconclusions, or ideas logically “in
between” premises and the ultimate conclusion.
Zeno’s
Paradox had subconclusions, but I didn’t ask you to identify them. Instead, I
identified them for you.
This
argument, however, does have a subconclusion and I’ll want you to find it on
your own.
Sometimes,
it can be difficult to distinguish between the premises and the subconclusions
in an argument. I find it helps if I start by figuring out which idea is the
ultimate conclusion. Then, for all other important ideas, I ask myself “Is the
argument just telling me this and
expecting me to take it for granted, or is the argument trying to convince me that this is true?” If the
argument expects me to take an idea for granted, it’s a premise. If the
argument is trying to convince me that an idea is true, it’s a subconclusion. Looking
for conclusion indicator expressions and reason indicator expressions can help
a lot, too.
Take
a moment to try doing this yourself. For each of the underlined sentences,
determine whether it’s the ultimate conclusion, a premise, or a subconclusion
in the argument. You can check your answer by resting the mouse over it.
6)
“Science is the most important discipline because it helps us to
understand how the world works. That’s why Ann should major in science.”
“Science is the most important discipline,” is
“Science helps us to understand how the world works,” is
“Ann should major in science,” is
Now
we can see how this argument is diagrammed.