Week 3 - Post 1: Tests for a Good Argument

Upon reading chapter 3 of Epstein’s Critical Thinking, I have become much more familiar with the criteria of good arguments. An example of such an argument would be, “Chris is a good student. He studies several hours every day. He will earn good grades in his classes.” This example meets the first criteria of being a good argument because the premise is truthful and reasonable. It is possible for Chris to be a good student, even before the argument is made. The second criterion for this to be a good argument is that the premise must be more realistic than the conclusion. In this example, Chris could still be considered a good student for paying attention, participating in class, and showing a greater overall interest in the subject matter compared to the other students. He would not necessarily need to obtain a grade of “A” to be considered an exceptional student in each of his classes. A grade of “B” is still considered above average. The third criterion of a good argument is that the argument be strong and credible. The argument I made in this example was that Chris would receive good grades because he studies several hours each night. A strong argument is one that can be subjected to other possibilities, no matter how rare they are, and still prove to be true. My example would also pass this test because although there may be a slight chance Chris could study thoroughly and do poorly in the class, it is very unlikely this would happen. It is far more likely that his excessive studying would result in the positive possibility of exceptional grades.