2009 Philosophy Proseminar Instructional Notes of Method

Instructional Notes on Method

Return to Philosophy Proseminar

Probably the dominant method in philosophy is the use of arguments and explanations to build theories which address basic philosophical questions. We begin with some basic terms:

Basic Terms for Discussion Rationales

• Claim

• Reason

• Premise

• Conclusion

• Argument

• Explanation

• Rationale

• Reflective Deliberative Context

Excerpt from Critical Thinking text on basic terms

Social Dynamics of Argument

• Psychology of interpersonal communication regarding conflict and argumentation
• Reflective Persona

Reconstruction and Structure

Goal of Reconstruction

To represent the structure of rationales and presuppositions in a piece of reflective writing.

Summary of Criteria for Good Reconstructions

1. Good reconstructions identify and distinguish the rationales in some speech or writing. Rationales are properly distinguished when it is clear how many there are and whether they are arguments or explanations. Arguments should be further identified as deductive or inductive.
2. Good reconstructions show the logical structure of the rationales. Logical structure may involve deductive structures, inductive patterns, or explanatory structures. When the logical structure is clear, readers of or listeners to your reconstruction can tell how individual premises are grouped together into sub-arguments and how the premises within sub-arguments are related. The connections among the links within explanations are also clear and easy to follow.
3. Good reconstructions practice the three principles of fair interpretation: charity, fidelity, and inclusion. Practicing fair interpretation helps you present an author or speaker’s complete view in favorable light while remaining faithful to the text.

Resources for Understanding more about Logical Structure

Please read the following articles from my Critical Thinking text/wiki site:

• Logical Structure in Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Argument Forms
• Inductive Argument Forms
• Form in Explanation

Definition

Could someone fill in notes here from the Chapter on Definition in your next packet?

• Definition as a Method in Philosophy

Validity

We discussed validity as a specific property of deductive arguments. You can also look at it as part of a method of deductive reasoning which has a long history and distinction in philosophy. Basically, to the extent that we can organize knowledge in a deductive structure, we might hope to find necessary relationships among concepts and knowledge claims. Of course, keep in mind that one might not always do philosophy with the goal of achieving this sort of necessity.

Validity itself is the "conditional guarantee" that if a set of premises are true, then the conclusion will be true. The guarantee is only possible because of the structure of the premises, which essentially rule out the possibility of consistently assigning truth values to propositions (in propositional logic). You can demonstrate this with a truth table.

More resources

• General List of Philosophical Methods and Philosophical Methods for Philosophy Majors