Answer to Question #206541 in Philosophy for Justin

Question

Evaluate the following arguments. In your evaluation, state whether the argument is inductive or deductive, value or empirical, contains a fallacy or not (stipulate which fallacy it contains if it does) and whether it is valid/invalid or sound/unsound. Then map (or diagram) the argument.

Argument:

[When liberals engage ideological conservatives, the charge of a misjudgement of truth often arises against the liberals.] – a. [But conservatives cannot adjudicate what truth is, though they would hold that truth is contained within their arguments.] – b. [This is no different than anyone stipulating that they prefer potatoes over pap!] – c. [The choice lies merely in the preference.] – d. [Thus, even conservatives are relativists.] – e.

Answer 1

Argument

The argument is deductive because it infers its reasoning from the statement that the people in question are liberals and conservatives. Thus the arguments infers from a statement that is already known or established.

The argument is not based on empirical but it is based on value. This is because there is no tangible scientific testing or experience that the argument is based on.  It is rather based on the values that liberals and conservatives are attached to or supposedly hold in their belief.

The argument contains a fallacy. The fallacy is that there is no truth in the argument that state that specific group either liberals or conservatives hold specific judgment or preference. It is obvious that apart from someone belonging to a certain group, they have their independent reasoning and preferences. It is thus a fallacy because a group does not reason exactly the same but each individual has his r her own reasoning and preferences.