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Arguments and Philosophical Reasoning

Deep philosophical questions will almost certainly never have a definitive answer. There are, however, obviously better and worse answers. With the help of philosophy, we can distinguish them. When someone gives reasons and logic to support a claim about a philosophical topic, your question should be “What are your arguments to support the above claim?” Once you’ve identified and argument, you may use these techniques to determine whether the argument is strong or weak, and whether the facts and reasoning back it up. 

What is an Argument?

In daily life situations, arguments can be seen as a quarrel between two or many parties. But in philosophy an argument is a group of statements based on logic and critical thinking, consisted of a conclusion and the rest of them are the premises or assumptions of the argument.

The two main areas of a logically healthy argument are,

  • Justification
  • Explanation

Justification is involving in developing logical reasons to a disputed claim. Justifying an argument can make someone believe in a fact that they never used to believe before. 

Some explanations provide us a sense of control. Having a sense of control can be very powerful and it’s why we prefer some explanations to others. Keep in mind that all explanations are not comforting. When it comes to religious beliefs, some explanations like the existence of god and heaven may bring inner peace to some, while some, such as the idea of hell don’t.

Philosophical Reasoning 

The effort to persuade an audience by reasoned persuasion, or philosophical reasoning, is a major aspect of philosophical writing and discussion. Learning to interpret, evaluate, and engage in such arguments is an important goal for philosophy students. According to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, reason is the power of synthesizing into unity, by means of comprehensive principles, the concepts that are provided by the intellect.

Reasoning is commonly regarded as a tool for increasing knowledge and making better decisions. When someone wants you to be reasonable, he/she is usually asking you to,

  1.     Be open to change your mind
  2.     Not to be biased
  3.       Think logically and reasonably
  4.       Seek more for the truth, whether you like what you are about to find or not
  5.        Do be narrow-minded, superstitious, and impulsive.

At its core, philosophical reasoning is about engaging in disclosure, one in which debaters would use logic to argue a point, a thought, or an issue.

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