1). Concerning part "C" in chapter 3 of the Epstein text, The Tests for an Argument to Be Good - there are three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good. There are many examples in the book on pages 42-45. Please come up with an argument just like the examples, and discuss it using the three tests on Page 42. Keep in mind that your test should be different from the examples in the book and that you should discuss the three criteria in detail. This post may be quite a bit more than 150 words. In addition, it is imperative that you understand the concepts contained within the 3 tests for an argument (page 42).
The three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good is: "1. The premises are plausible, 2. The premises are more plausible than the conclusion, 3. The argument is valid or strong" (p. 42, Epstein). These tests are independent of one another. To know when an argument is weak, we will be able to figure out one possibility that the premise is true, but the conclusion is false. For example, for the past year, Glenndale's dad always cooks homemade dinner when her mom comes home from her business trips. Glenndale's mom is coming home from her business trip today. Thus, Glenndale's dad is going to make homemade dinner. This is a valid argument. The premises are plausible. The "always" states it to be a sure thing to the dad makes homemade dinner for the mom all the time. There is no other possibility that can be given to make the premise or conclusion false. Thus, this argument is a good valid argument.
I really like your example of a valid argument! It is very straight forward and easy to understand. Obviously, there is no reason for Glendale’s father to not make dinner because her mother is coming home from a business trip. Also, it’s nice that you included the work always in your statement, because it really does make a difference in any kind of statement that you either hear or speak. You also gave great definitions and explanations of the various tests the statements must endure in order to be “good” or “valid,” which helped me understand the concept more. Thank you for your post! :)
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