Question Database: Critical Thinking
Identifying arguments
Car alarms do not protect cars against thieves. Insurance industry statistics show that cars with alarms are more likely to be stolen or broken into than cars without alarms.
A. Yes, this is an argument.
B. No, this is not an argument.
Answer: A
Topic:
identifying arguments
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
Does the following passage contain an argument or not?
The first major source of carbon dioxide emissions is the burning of fossil fuels for energy production, industrial processes and transport. North America, Europe and Asia emit over 90% of the world's industrially produced carbon dioxide. The second major source is the result of land-use changes, such as cutting down rainforests. Here the main culprits are the developing nations - South America, Asia and Africa are responsible for over 90% of land-use change emissions..
A. Yes, this is an argument.
B. No, this is not an argument.
Answer: B
Topic:
Identifying arguments
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
2006: All correct.
Source: Global Warming: A very short introduction. Mark Maslin.
Does the following passage contain an argument or not?
A number is said to be 'prime' if it is divisible only by itself and one. The first five prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11. Long ago, Euclid proved that there is no end to the sequence of prime numbers - that is, for any prime number, there is a greater one.
A. Yes, this is an argument.
B. No, this is not an argument.
Answer: B
Topic
Identifying arguments
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
Forklift trucks account for thousands of serious injuries and dozens of deaths each year. Many of these accidents (26%) are due to overloading, which causes the forklift to tip over. In other cases, people working nearby are crushed by materials falling off an overloaded forklift. Overloading may be encouraged by some employers, keen to increase efficiency at the expense of safety. A minority of accidents occur because the operator lost control of the vehicle. Sometimes these accidents occur because workers are asked to drive a forklift when they have not been properly trained.
A. Yes, this is an argument.
B. No, this is not an argument.
Answer: B
Topic:
identifying arguments
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
Does the following passage contain an argument or not?
Often, accidents in the workplace occur because machine safety devices have been removed to improve productivity, or because workers have been given inadequate training or inadequate safety equipment.
A. Yes, this is an argument.
B. No, this is not an argument.
Answer: B
Topic:
Identifying arguments
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
This is an explanation, rather than an argument.
Does the following passage contain an argument or not?
... the difficult and most philosophically interesting question is how we should feel about death if it's the end. Is it a terrible thing to go out of existence? ... it might seem that death can't have any value, positive or negative, because someone who doesn't exist can't be either benefited or harmed.
A. Yes, the passage does contain an argument.
B. No, the passage does not contain an argument.
Answer: A
Topic:
Identifying arguments
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
Source: Nagel, What Does It All Mean?
According to our definition, every argument has:
A. Two premises and a conclusion
B. One premise and one conclusion
C. One or more premises and one conclusion
D. One or more premises and one or more conclusions
Answer: C
Topic:
Definition of argument
Course Level:
First year, critical thinking.
Notes:
2006: 99% C, 1% D