Logic in a Nutshell

What is an Argument?

The best way to understand what an argument is is to contrast it with what it is certainly not--namely an opinion. An opinion is simply a belief or attitude that is held about someone or something. We express our opinions all the time: we love or hate certain films, different types of food, other people. For the most part, however, people's opinions are based almost exclusively upon their feelings about certain matters and rarely if ever do they feel compelled to support their opinions with any kind of evidence.

An argument is something a bit different than this. It is an attempt to formulate reasons in support of one's claims in order to convince others that these claims are true. For example, compare the statements of the following individuals who have entered into an impromptu discussion about the Clinton presidency over a few beers at a local bar:

Joe: I think Clinton was a lousy President.

Pete: How can you say that? A good president is someone who keeps the country on the right track economically, who works with Congress to get important legislation passed, and who keeps the country out of messy wars. Clinton certainly did all that, didn't he?

Joe: I have the right to my opinion.

What is the basic difference between the statements of Joe and Pete regarding the legacy of the Clinton presidency? As opposed to Joe, who is simply expressing his opinion, Pete is trying to give reasons in support of his views. In other words, he is attempting to argue his position by citing facts which he believes will demonstrate the truth of his claim that Clinton was a good president.

Opinions are worthless: even the most irrational person can formulate an opinion about virtually any matter under the sun. Arguments, on the other hand, are the building blocks of philosophy, and the good philosopher is one who is able to create the best--that is, the most sound and persuasive--arguments possible.

Let's go on now to examine two different types of arguments: inductive and deductive.

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Molloy College | Department of Philosophy | Sophia Project