A cogent inductive argument doesn't rule out even this combination—that is, it's possible but unlikely that a cogent inductive argument has true premises and a false conclusion. For instance, if it turns out that Tweety is an ostrich, then the premises are true but the conclusion is false.

Can an inductive argument ever be invalid?

Inductive argument: involves the claim that the truth of its premises provides some grounds for its conclusion or makes the conclusion more probable; the terms valid and invalid cannot be applied. ... If this is possible, the argument is invalid. Validity and invalidity apply only to arguments, not statements.

Is a cogent argument always true?

Yes, the premises of a cogent argument are always true because, by definition, a cogent argument is a strong argument. ... So, for a cogent argument, they will always have true premises that gives probable reason to accept the conclusion they are supporting, but the conclusion does not always have to be true.

What is the conclusion of an inductive argument?

In an inductive argument the conclusion is, at best, probable. The conclusion is not always true when the premises are true. The probability of the conclusion depends on the strength of the inference from the premises.

Can an inductive argument have a false conclusion?

To summarize, a strong inductive argument is one where it is improbable for the conclusion to be false, given that the premises are true. A weak inductive argument is one where the conclusion probably would not follow from the premises, if they were true.

What is a Cogent Argument? (Philosophical Definition)

29 related questions found

Why are inductive arguments always invalid?

As noted, the distinction between deductive and inductive has to do with the strength of the justification that the arguer intends that the premises provide for the conclusion. ... This argument is invalid because the premises provide no support whatsoever for the conclusion.

Can arguments be true or false?

A valid argument can have false premises; and it can have a false conclusion. But if a valid argument has all true premises, then it must have a true conclusion. ... Since a sound argument is valid, it is such that if all the premises are true then the conclusion must be true.

Can an argument be valid with a false conclusion?

FALSE: A valid argument must have a true conclusion only if all of the premises are true. So it is possible for a valid argument to have a false conclusion as long as at least one premise is false. 2. A sound argument must have a true conclusion.

Can deductive arguments be invalid?

A deductive argument is said to be valid if and only if it takes a form that makes it impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false. Otherwise, a deductive argument is said to be invalid.

What is a cogent inductive argument?

Similar to the concept of soundness for deductive arguments, a strong inductive argument with true premises is termed cogent. To say an argument is cogent is to say it is good, believable; there is good evidence that the conclusion is true. A weak argument cannot be cogent, nor can a strong one with a false premise(s).

Which conclusion is always true?

When the premisses of a deductive argument are true, the conclusion is always true as well. If a deductive argument is sound, then the conclusion must be true. A deductive argument could have a false premiss and still be sound.

Do all valid arguments have true conclusions?

All valid arguments have all true premises and true conclusions. All sound arguments are valid arguments. If an argument is valid, then it must have at least one true premise. Every valid argument is a sound argument.

How do you make an invalid argument valid?

Judge the reasoning and not the content (true or false statements). Think hypothetically. Ask, "IF the premises are true, are we locked into the conclusion?" If yes, then the argument is valid. If no, then the argument is invalid.

Is it possible to have an inductive argument that is neither cogent nor Uncogent?

Some inductive arguments are neither cogent nor uncogent. False. All strong inductive arguments are equally strong. ... In an invalid deductive argument, it is impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion to be false simultaneously.

Are weak inductive arguments invalid?

Inductive arguments are not usually said to be "valid" or "invalid," but according to the degree of support which the premises do provide for the conclusion, they may be said to be "strong" or "weak" over a spectrum of varying degrees of likelihood.

How do you determine if an argument is valid?

Work out the truth-values of premises and conclusion on each row. Check to see if there are any rows on which all of the premises are true and the conclusion false (counterexamples). If there are any counterexample rows, the argument is formally invalid. If there are none, it's formally valid.

Can a valid deductive argument ever have false premises?

A valid deductive argument can have all false premises and a false conclusion. ... Whether an argument is valid has nothing to do with whether any of it's premises are actually true. 10. No sound deductive argument has a false premise.

Is deductive conclusion always true?

With deductive reasoning, the conclusion is necessarily true if the premises are true. With inductive reasoning, the conclusion might be true, and it has some support, but it may nonetheless be false.

How do you know if an argument is valid discrete math?

An argument is valid if the conclusion is true whenever all the premises are true. The validity of an argument can be tested through the use of the truth table by checking if the critical rows, i.e. the rows in which all premises are true, will correspond to the value ''true'' for the conclusion.

Can a valid argument have false premises and a false conclusion example?

So, Elizabeth Taylor must be younger than 35. For either example, the logic is valid but the premises are false. ... False premises can lead to either a true or a false conclusion even in a valid argument. In these examples, bad luck rather than bad logic led to the false conclusion.

What logical conclusion can you draw about an argument that is valid but has a false conclusion?

A valid argument had false premises must have a false conclusion,it is impossible that ones have false premises and a true conclusion. What logical conclusion can you draw about an argument that is valid but has a false conclusion? This argument must have at lease one false premise.

What is an example of an invalid argument?

An argument can be invalid even if the conclusion and the premises are all actually true. To give you another example, here is another invalid argument with a true premise and a true conclusion : "Paris is the capital of France. So Rome is the capital of Italy." .

How many conclusions does an argument have?

An argument is a group of statements including one or more premises and one and only one conclusion.

Can an argument be almost valid?

Some arguments, while not completely valid, are almost valid. 10. A strong argument may have true premises and a probably false conclusion. ... A sound argument may have a false conclusion.

Are all persuasive arguments valid?

No, not all persuasive arguments are valid. "To persuade someone of something is to influence her opinion by any number of means, including emotional appeals, linguistic or rhetorical tricks, deception, threats, propaganda, and more. Reasoned argument does not necessarily play any part at all in persuasion" (50).