PHIL 347 Week 6 Checkpoint Quiz practice exam questions and answers

PHIL 347 Week 6 Checkpoint Quiz practice exam questions and answers Question 1 4 / 4 pts What are the three fundamental reasoning strategies listed in the text? Your Answer: Comparative Reasoning Ideological Reasoning Empirical Reasoning Question 2 6 / 6 pts What is comparative reasoning? On what skill is it based? Your Answer: Comparative reasoning is used to illustrate, illuminate , suggest or hypothesize the process of using what is familiar to make interpretations , explanations or inferences about what is less familiar . It is based on critical thinking skills . Question 3 20 / 20 pts We learned four tests for evaluating arguments: truthfulness of the premises, logical strength, relevance, and non-circularity. How well do these tests work with respect to evaluating comparative reasoning? Consider each of the four tests. Your Answer: Test # 1 - Are the premises all True ? This test will not work with evaluating comparative reasoning because true or false are used mainly for evaluating the comparison . Test # 2 - Are there counter examples and how difficult is it to imagine them ? This question helps gauge the logical strength of the analogy .It helps to categorize comparisons as more or less plausible . This will not work well comparative reasoning because there are too many cases of similarities and dissimilarities . Test # 3 - Are the premises relevant to the truth of the conclusion? The conclusion is the assertion about the characteristics of the unfamiliar topic or object . It helps to establish the relevance of comparisons between topics. Test # 4 -Does the truth of any premise depend on the truth of the conclusion? Comparative interference should flow from what we know to what we project to be true . Lastly this does not work because in comparative reasoning there is unfamiliarity . If something is unfamiliar it is hard to connect premise and conclusion . The four tests for evaluating comparative reasoning does not work with respect to evaluating comparative reasoning . Question 4 10 / 10 pts Briefly explain how we can determine if one comparison is more comprehensive than another. Your Answer: To determine if one comparison is more comprehensive than another we can utilize the following questions: Are the premises all true ? Are there any counter examples and how difficult is it to imagine them ? Are the premises relevant to the truth of the conclusion Does the truth of any premise depend on the truth of the conclusion ? Question 5 10 / 10 pts According to the text, the basic question to ask when evaluating a comparison between two objects or ideas or events is “Are they alike enough in the important ways or not?” (p. 248). What are those “important ways” that determine the credibility of conclusions based on similarities? Your Answer: There are 5 criteria for evaluating comparative reasoning 1.Familarity 2.Simplicity 3.Comprehensivness 4.Productivity 5.Testability Question 6 2 / 2 pts In your own words, define empirical reasoning. Your Answer: Empirical reasoning is when an individual uses their own personal experiences and premises that they hold to be true and use their own experiences to support their argument. Question 7 2 / 2 pts What are the three defining characteristics of empirical reasoning?