What Validargument is
A valid argument is a logical argument that is correctly structured and contains only true premises that support the conclusion. A valid argument is also known as a sound argument.
Steps for Valid Argument:
- Determine your conclusion: Before you can argue your point, you need to know what you’re trying to prove.
- Identify your premises: After you have determined your conclusion, you’ll need to identify the premises that you’ll use to support your conclusion.
- Make sure the premises are true: You’ll need to make sure that each of your premises is true. This is an important step, as any false premises will make your argument invalid.
- Make sure the premises logically support the conclusion: You’ll need to make sure that all of the premises logically lead to the conclusion. If any of the premises do not logically support the conclusion, then the argument will be invalid.
- Evaluate the argument: After you have determined that the premises are true and logically support the conclusion, you’ll need to evaluate the argument. This is done by examining the strength of the argument. A strong argument is one that is logically sound and has all true premises.
Examples
-
A statistical analysis of the correlation between income level and educational attainment can be used to argue that higher educational attainment leads to higher income levels.
-
A statistical analysis of the correlation between crime rates and poverty levels can be used to argue that higher poverty levels lead to higher crime rates.
-
A statistical analysis of the correlation between divorce rates and fertility rates can be used to argue that higher fertility rates lead to lower divorce rates.
-
A statistical analysis of the correlation between unemployment rates and inflation rates can be used to argue that higher inflation rates lead to higher unemployment rates.