An argument is a set of statements, one of which is the conclusion and the others are the premises, that are intended to support the conclusion. The purpose of an argument is to provide evidence for the truth of the conclusion. In other words, the premises of an argument are intended to support the truth of the conclusion.
There are two types of arguments: valid and invalid. A valid argument is one in which the conclusion follows logically from the premises, regardless of whether the premises are true or false. In other words, if the premises of a valid argument are true, then the conclusion must also be true.
On the other hand, an invalid argument is one in which the conclusion does not follow logically from the premises, even if the premises are true. In other words, if the premises of an invalid argument are true, the conclusion may still be false.
For example, consider the following argument:
Premise 1: All dogs are mammals. Premise 2: Fido is a dog. Conclusion: Fido is a mammal.
This argument is valid, because the conclusion logically follows from the premises. If the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true.
Now consider the following argument:
Premise 1: All dogs are mammals. Premise 2: Fido is a mammal. Conclusion: Fido is a dog.
This argument is invalid, because the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises. Even if the premises are true, the conclusion may still be false.
It is important to be able to distinguish between valid and invalid arguments, because a valid argument provides strong evidence for the truth of the conclusion, while an invalid argument provides no evidence at all. When evaluating an argument, it is important to consider whether the conclusion follows logically from the premises, rather than just accepting the conclusion based on the truth of the premises alone.
In conclusion, a valid argument is one in which the conclusion follows logically from the premises, while an invalid argument is one in which the conclusion does not follow logically from the premises. It is important to be able to distinguish between valid and invalid arguments, because a valid argument provides strong evidence for the truth of the conclusion, while an invalid argument provides no evidence at all.