Learn · Argumentation
Understand the moves.
Read in order for a foundation, or open the lesson that addresses your last mistake.
The fundamentals
- Start here · 6 min Find the argument before judging it Separate the claim being supported from the reasons, background, and concessions around it.
- Evidence & inference · 6 min Ask how much the evidence establishes Distinguish deductive validity, probable support, and the truth of the premises.
- Rules & quantifiers · 8 min Handle conditional rules precisely Use sufficient and necessary conditions without reversing an implication.
- The missing bridge · 8 min Distinguish necessary from sufficient assumptions Identify what an argument depends on and what would make its conclusion follow.
- Causes & comparisons · 7 min Test a causal explanation Consider alternative causes, selection effects, time order, and a fair comparison.
- Quantitative reasoning · 7 min Read samples, rates, and comparisons Notice selection, denominators, baselines, averages, and what a survey actually asks.
- Flaws & fair criticism · 8 min Describe the error before naming it Recognize common inference failures without using labels as substitutes for explanation.
- Evaluate & resolve · 6 min Ask a question that could change your mind Choose information that discriminates between explanations rather than merely adding detail.
- Principles & analogies · 6 min Apply a principle at the right scope Connect general rules to particular cases and compare the underlying form of arguments.
- From drills to deliberation · 7 min Make objections that improve an argument Reconstruct a position fairly, locate the disagreement, and revise in response to a serious objection.