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Introduction
The reasoning is a specific property that distinguishes human beings from animals. Studying the Philosophy 100 course appears to be a great opportunity to understand how sound reasoning works. The current presentation will explain the basic concepts of sound reasoning and argument. In addition, the audience will learn how to use them in practice. Moreover, the presentation contains a detailed description and example of constructing a rational argument. It will also briefly discuss how to engage the audience in a reasoned dispute of modern challenges. Finally, I will share a personal experience of how sound reasoning helps me in personal relationships and academic performance.
The Philosophy 100 Course Reflection
The process of persuasion is based on sound reasoning. It refers to the ability to construct an argument that follows logic so that people can understand it without difficulties. Reasoning involves applying the principles of logic (Hughes & Lavery, 2015). When developing a sound argument, one must ensure that all its premises are true (Porat, n.d.; Carneades.org, 2019). Given this, it is possible to use deductive and inductive reasoning. Under deductive reasoning, one understands the thinking process where a conclusion is grounded on the congruence of multiple premises that are assumed to be true. When one uses inductive reasoning, he or she makes conclusions from the specific to the general. It means that the premises can be true, but they provide probable support for the conclusion.
Understanding the abovementioned basic concepts helps to use them in analyzing and evaluating arguments. Valid argument and true premises are the components of deductive or sound argument (HillTops EdX, 2021; Girard, n.d.). The foundation of the valid argument is represented by logic conditioning, which ensures the connectivity of the premises and conclusion (HillTops EdX, 2021). True premises imply the truthfulness or wrongfulness of the premises and conclusion (HillTops EdX, 2021). An example of a sound argument is as follows: “Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. Melinda lives in Buenos Aires, and thus Melinda lives in Argentina.” However, one can rarely encounter sound arguments because they are difficult to establish.
Constructing a rational argument has particular stages that help make conclusions persuasive. In the beginning, it is necessary to distinguish true premises supporting a conclusion. However, the logical strength of an argument may not depend on the truthfulness of the premises (Hughes & Lavery, 2015). Thus, there is a need to ask questions about whether the argument is logically strong and whether the premises are true (Hughes & Lavery, 2015). Another stage is drawing a conclusion representing the ultimate stance of an argument. Nevertheless, it is possible to begin with the conclusion to test the premises and draw a rational argument. The following example of a rational argument will be explained below: “Billy is three years old. He attended neither kindergarten, nor middle school. Therefore, Billy is not a teenager.”
The example given above is simple to explain and understand. Billy is indeed a three-year-old boy who did not go to kindergarten or school. Children at three years do not attend kindergarten because the minimum enrollment age is four years. Besides, children begin to go to school at the age of six. Since a teenager is a person of 13-19 years old, Billy is not a teenager because he has only three years.
One can engage others in a reasoned discussion concerning today’s social issues. For instance, many countries do not permit their citizens to bear guns. Usually, the societies of these countries believe that if each person had a weapon, the number of crimes would significantly increase. Although it is impossible to persuade all the objectors of gun permission, there is always a chance to make the majority change their minds. When supporting gun permission, one should rely on rational reasoning by using facts and research proving that the number of crimes has not grown. Moreover, it would be useful to convince people that they will have the opportunity to protect themselves from criminals, which essentially equals legal rights and responsibilities.
The Philosophy 100 course provides a great opportunity to better understand the reasoning process and develop sound and convincing arguments. First and foremost, it advanced my persuading skills and thus improved my relationships with my family and friends. Instead of emotions, I use sound arguments to defend my point of view regarding challenging decision-making, for example, about finances. In addition, the course has helped me to enhance my writing skills. Now I am able to thoroughly study the materials for references and evaluate their relevance and validity. Moreover, I approach constructing arguments for writing assignments more consciously and judiciously.
Conclusion
To conclude, one needs to remember that reasoning always guides human actions and decisions. Providing a sound argument means that a person should use a valid argument and true premises that lead to a true conclusion. However, sound arguments are rare because drawing a truly sound argument is challenging. The reason for it may be implied in the statement that many events and phenomena may have both positive and negative consequences confirming their relativity. Nevertheless, being able to construct rational arguments is a valuable skill that helps to improve the quality of relationships or academic performance. Moreover, sound reasoning can help persuade the public of the reasonability of implementing particular policies.
References
Carneades.org. (2019). What is a sound argument? (Philosophical Definition)[Video]. YouTube. Web.
Girard, P. (n.d.). Sound and cogent argument. Future Learn. Web.
HillTops EdX. (2021). Sound Arguments [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Hughes, W., & Lavery, J. (2015). Critical thinking: An introduction to the basic skills. (7th ed.). Broadview Press.
Porat, Y. (n.d.). A brief introduction to philosophy. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
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