Exclamation- WTF!?!
False!

Greeting- Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville. Welcome to Jackass!
True!

Command- Take out the trash!
False!

Question- When does Pizza Hut open?
True!

The truth-value of a statement is either true or false, but never both. For that reason, questions, commands, greetings, and exclamations are not statements.

Arguments are a collection of statements where some statement(s), the premise(s), support or are reason for one or more statements, the conclusion(s).

Statements are sentences that have truth-values, true and false, and are interchangeable with terms like assertions, claims, and beliefs.

Some pseudoscience presents itself as genuine science or as a credible/plausible alternative to established science. Take care to spot these PR positive BS claims and assertions by using your critical thinking skills.

Belligerent- inclined to fight

He was typically quite friendly and even-tempered, but he became belligerent when talking about politics.

#WOTD

Argument vs Explanation

An argument is intended to get you to believe something. An explanation, on the other hand, is intended only to tell you why or how something is the case without the added push to get you to believe something in addition.

When evaluating an argument, it is important to not only be aware of the content, but the form and framework too. Every argument rests upon its premises and none is free from implications or commitments or consequences.

Resolute- marked by firm determination

We must remain resolute in our pursuit of justice; otherwise we risk straying from that path and turn to vengeance and hatred.

#WOTD

Being able to communicate clearly and concisely is one of the most important and fundamental skills to be have as a critical thinker.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety"
- Benjamin Franklin, 1755

Propaganda- ideas, facts, or allegations, especially of a biased or misleading nature, spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person

#WOTD

Appeal to the minority- arguing that a statement is true because not many people believe it is true

Appealing to a secret or hidden truth can be part of an argument to accept a conspiracy theory on the basis that not many people have this special knowledge i.e., an appeal to minority.

Fallacy of the middle- asserting that the truth or the most reasonable position is the middle ground, the compromise between two extremes

There is no logical implication that the middle position or compromise is the best, the truth, the most reasonable, etc. or that a middle even exists.

Gregarious- incredible friendly or sociable

The gregarious Mr. Rogers asked viewers, "won't you be my neighbor?" which served to exemplify his beliefs about community and kindness.

#WOTD

There is no discussion nor debate nor persuasion to be had with those who are not reasonable, good-faith, or honest.

Inference to the best explanation (IBE)- reasoning from premises about a state of affairs (circumstances) to an explanation for that state of affairs (circumstances).

Phenomenon Q.
E provides the best explanation for Q.
Therefore, it is probable that E is true.

Prolific- producing or creating abundantly

Stephen King has been described as being a prolific author given his writing of over 200 stories, many of which have been adapted into feature films such as Carrie, The Shining, Stand by Me, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile.

#WOTD

Non-deductive arguments offer probable support for their conclusions. Pretend (for the sake of the argument) the premises are all true. Then ask this question: Is it more probable than not that the conclusion is true?

Yes: it’s strong
No: it’s weak

Think about it like building a case in court.

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Degree mills, fake credentials, scam schools, and more are an insult and an attack on the real researchers, academics, professionals, scientists, and experts. They mislead people and take advantage of our respect for genuine knowledge, skill, practice, and expertise.

Capitulate- to give up or surrender

When Americans see one party as extreme and the other capitulate, it is no surprise that the former is seen as weak.

#WOTD

Principle of charity (Benefit of the doubt): We should make a reasonable and honest effort to understand the claims and arguments of others such that we are interpreting them to be as “good” as possible, i.e., claims as true, deductive arguments as valid, and non-deductive arguments as strong, etc.

"One can sum up all this by saying that the criterion of the scientific status of a theory is its falsifiability, or refutability, or testability."

-Karl Popper, “Science: Conjectures and Refutations”, (1953): 343-344.

Ambiguous- capable of being understood in more than one way

Informed consent is important in behavioral science and other research because it respects participants autonomy and allows them to make decisions by reducing ambiguous aspects of their participation through clarity of information.

#WOTD

Fallacy fallacy: the presence of fallacy does not mean the conclusion that it tried to justify is false

You can be right for the wrong reasons such as by luck, mistake, faith, etc., but that does not mean that you or your methods should be praised or praiseworthy.

Ceteris paribus clauses can significantly affect statements and arguments. Be careful when using them and stay vigilant for others employing these clauses. Oftentimes, things are not ideal, equal, etc.

E.g., 'All things being equal, ...", 'ideally, ...', 'optimally, ...', 'If things hold,...'

Sanctimonious- hypocritically pious or devout

The Attorney General became sanctimonious when questioned about the unreleased documents and files that were required by law to be released and the functioning of the Department of Justice under the current administration with survivors present.

#WOTD

Base rate fallacy: ignoring or overlooking the general prevalence or base rate of a phenomenon in favor of specific or particular instance instead

This is related to the use of anecdotal evidence wherein a personal experience is used instead of statistical information to support claims or beliefs.