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The world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel. -Horace Walpole

Name:
Location: Singapore

Tutor at NUS.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Why?

Extremely busy now, but I just need to say this. In the first tutorial class I took I taught my students validity and soundness. I said then, "let me define a strong argument as one that is both valid and her premises reasonably sound". In a recent assignment, a couple of them, in answering the question "do you think argument x is successful?", wrote: "I define a successful argument as one that is both valid and reasonably sound".

I thought that was pretty cute.

7 Comments:

Blogger roticv said...

Sounds like a pseudo definition as the word "reasonably" is subjective...

2:45 AM, September 17, 2012  
Blogger SirWhale said...

Why does that make a definition a pseudo one..? It's just a stipulative definition.

Let me define an 'excellent game' as one that is both addictive and intellectually challenging. Both seem subjective to the individual, but if you've convinced me that a game is both addictive and intellectually challenging, you've convinced me that it's an excellent game, by my own definition.

1:35 AM, September 18, 2012  
Blogger roticv said...

The problem is the need to convince people of your argument.

6:28 AM, September 18, 2012  
Blogger SirWhale said...

You mean, the argument that an 'excellent game' should mean one that is both addictive and intellectually challenging? And that a 'strong' argument should mean one that is both valid and her premises reasonably sound?

11:57 AM, September 18, 2012  
Blogger Anonymous Wife said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

5:00 PM, September 18, 2012  
Anonymous Miao said...

I agree with Victor (whose comments make it very obvious that he is a mathematician).

5:00 PM, September 18, 2012  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Think people challenging your validity and soundness, lol.

Aquila

5:11 PM, October 06, 2012  

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