Take Home Quiz: Deducing the Premises (worth 10 points)

You’ll remember that a deductive argument is one in which a general premise (a belief, principle, value, etc.) is applied to a specific situation to generate a conclusion.  For example, say a person believes as a general principle that creatures who experience pain have a right to be free from unnecessary pain.  In the specific situation of cockfighting or dog fighting, where these animals are pitted against one another in death matches solely for the purpose of entertaining gamblers and onlookers, this person would likely conclude that there should be laws against such contests in order to protect the rights of the animals.  General principle (animals have rights to be free from pain) applied to specific situation (dog fights and cockfights) leads to conclusion: needed laws.  In order to convince readers of the claim, the arguer would have to provide compelling arguments in support of the premises.  In other words, the arguer would have to convince readers that it is true that animals have or should have a right to be free from unnecessary pain.  This would required defining pain and unnecessary vs. necessary and rights.  While the arguer would not have to convince readers that dogs and roosters experience pain (most would agree they do), he/she might have to convince readers that the pain they experience is “unnecessary.”  If the writer can convince readers of the premises, the conclusion follows naturally. 

When you encounter arguments in the world around you, however, often you’ll be confronted by the conclusion and you’ll have to figure out the premises the arguer is working from.  In other words, you have to think carefully about what general principle the arguer is working from.

Practice finding some of the possible premises of the following conclusions:

1. Laws prohibiting medical uses of marijuana should be eliminated.

2. The international Olympic Games are the most authentic sporting events that exist today.

3. The federal government should provide a college education free of charge to all academically qualified citizens.

4. Parents who smoke cigarettes in the presence of their children are guilty of child abuse.

5. The growing popularity of reality TV shows like the Bachelor and Temptation Island indicates that American’s are becoming increasingly immoral.

6. The production and sale of military assault weapons should be prohibited.

7. American citizens should be allowed to own military assault weapons.

8. The legal drinking age in the US should be lowered to eighteen.

9. The war against Iraq has made America safer.

10. The war against Iraq has put Americans in greater danger.

Create a two of your own syllogisms.