1.6: Glossary

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Bradley H. Dowden
California State University Sacramento

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argument An argument is a conclusion backed up by one or more reasons. In this sense of “argument,” there is no requirement that there be two people who disagree about anything.

critical thinking Critical thinking is when you turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream. Hmm. Not such a good definition, is it? Maybe you can do better. inconsistent A group of statements is inconsistent if it implies that something is so and not so. [Chapter 9 is devoted to this concept.]

issue The specific point of disagreement that inspires someone to present an argument. The argument’s conclusion favors one side of the issue over the other.

topic The general area of the issue. If the issue is whether Americans prefer southern European food to northern European food, then the topic might be American taste preferences.

weigh the pros and cons In deciding on taking an action, you weigh the pros and cons by looking at alternative actions that can be taken, then considering the probable good consequences of each action and the probable bad consequences while weighing the positive and negative impact of each consequence. It’s a kind of cost-benefit analysis.