Assumptions and Implicit Statements in Logical Arguments Assumptions are statements that are taken for granted and are not explicitly stated in the argum...
Assumptions are statements that are taken for granted and are not explicitly stated in the argument. They are often implicit, meaning they are not explicitly mentioned but are understood by the audience. These assumptions can influence the validity and truthfulness of the argument, and it's important to be aware of them to avoid invalid conclusions.
Implicit statements are also assumptions that are not explicitly stated but are implied by the argument. They are often evident from the context or the structure of the argument, but they can sometimes be difficult to identify. It's important to carefully examine the argument and its premises to ensure that all implicit assumptions are indeed valid.
Some common types of assumptions include:
Transitive property: If A implies B and B implies C, then A also implies C.
Symmetry property: If A implies B, and B implies C, then A also implies C.
Negation property: If A implies B, then not A implies not B.
Identifying assumptions and implicit statements is an important skill for critical thinking and reasoning. By being aware of these assumptions and implicit statements, we can avoid drawing invalid conclusions and make more accurate and informed judgments.
Examples:
Assume: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Implicit statement: The earth is round.
Assume: If it is raining, then the ground is wet.
Implicit statement: The person is walking in the park.
Tips for identifying assumptions and implicit statements include:
Read the argument carefully: Pay attention to the premises and the conclusion, and make sure that no implicit assumptions are left out.
Use evidence to support the premises: If the premises are based on evidence, then the conclusion must also be true.
Identify the structure of the argument: Look for patterns in the arguments, such as the use of conditional statements or the presence of a conditionals