Business Logic

Bachelors in Business Data Analytics

Quick Review about Arguements
What Is Standard Argument Form?

• A standard way of capturing the structure of an argument, or diagramming it, is by numbering the
premises and conclusion. For example, the following represents another way to arrange the
littering argument:

• Littering is harmful

• Litter is dangerous to animals

• Litter is dangerous to humans

• This numbered list represents an argument that has been put into standard argument form. A
more precise definition of an argument now emerges, employing the vocabulary that is specific to
academic and rhetorical arguments. An argument is a set of statements, some of which
(the premises: statements 2 and 3 above) attempt to provide a reason for thinking that some other
statement (the conclusion: statement 1) is true
 Types of Arguments

Deductive Inductive
Arguments Arguments
Deductive Logic vs. Inductive Logic
• Involves drawing a specific conclusion from a • Starts with observing a particular “thing” and
general statement or premise, going from the drawing a generalization from that, going
big picture to the small picture. from the little picture to the big.
• •
Example: The statement that “all birds have Example: If you played soccer two days ago
beaks” would lead me to deduce that if I am a and that evening had a sore knee, AND if you
bird, I must have a beak. played soccer yesterday and last night you
had a sore knee AND if you play soccer today
and tonight you have a sore knee, you would
most likely assume through induction that if
you play soccer, you will have a sore knee
later that same day.
•
Robert Pirsig – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance

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Examples of Deductive Reasoning
• All numbers ending in 0 or 5 are divisible by 5. The number 35 ends with a 5, so it
must be divisible by 5.
• All birds have feathers. All robins are birds. Therefore, robins have feathers.
• It's dangerous to drive on icy streets. The streets are icy now, so it would be
dangerous to drive on the streets.
• All cats have a keen sense of smell. Fluffy is a cat, so Fluffy has a keen sense of smell.
• Cacti are plants, and all plants perform photosynthesis. Therefore, cacti perform
photosynthesis.
• Red meat has iron in it, and beef is red meat. Therefore, beef has iron in it.
• Acute angles are less than 90 degrees. This angle is 40 degrees, so it must be an
acute angle.
• All noble gases are stable. Helium is a noble gas, so helium is stable.
• Elephants have cells in their bodies, and all cells have DNA. Therefore, elephants
have DNA.
• All horses have manes. The Arabian is a horse; therefore, Arabians have manes.
Invalid Deductive Reasoning
• When it comes to deductive reasoning, you can overgeneralize. In
these cases, even with two solid and true premises, deductive
reasoning goes wrong. Here are a few examples of just that:
• All swans are white. Jane is white. Therefore, Jane is a swan.
• All farmers like burgers. Jethro likes chicken wings. Therefore,
Jethro is not a farmer.
• All actors are handsome. Tom Cruise is handsome. Therefore, Tom
Cruise is an actor.
• In each of these examples, the premises may very well be true, but
the conclusions make invalid assumptions. In these examples, a + b
does not necessarily equal c. Rather, "c" is an overgeneralization.
Examples of Inductive Reasoning
• The first lipstick I pulled from my bag is red. The second
lipstick I pulled from my bag is red. Therefore, all the
lipsticks in my bag are red.
• My mother is Irish. She has blond hair. Therefore, everyone
from Ireland has blond hair.
• Most of our snowstorms come from the north. It's starting to
snow. This snowstorm must be coming from the north.
• Maximilian is a shelter dog. He is happy. All shelter dogs
are happy.
•Aristotle was the first to discuss the tools of logic in his
work Organon. He was the first to suggest that logic
should not be treated as a unique discipline but rather it
should be applied in every other branch of knowledge.
•Aristotle developed his three laws of thought:
•The law of non-contradiction: something cannot be and
not be at the same time. For example, if the statement
Robert exists is true, it cannot be false.
•The law of the excluded middle says that something must
either be or not be. For example, the statement that
Stephen exists, it must be either true or false, not
something else.
•The law of identity says that something is what it is. For
example, Robert is Robert and Stephen is Stephen,
Robert cannot be Stephen.

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