ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces student to a way of thinking about philosophy – as argument – which is also a way of thinking philosophically. It also covers three skills that they need to do philosophy well: reasoning, reading and writing. Philosophers distinguish between two types of argument – deductive and inductive. Successful deductive arguments are valid – if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true. A successful inductive argument is an argument whose conclusion is supported by its premises. A lot of philosophy involves arguing about which theory provides the best hypothesis to account for our experience. A hypothesis is a proposal that needs to be confirmed or rejected by reasoning or experience. Understanding an argument involves identifying the conclusion, identifying the premises, and understanding how the premises are supposed to provide reasons for believing the conclusion. Psychologists have shown that using argument maps greatly improves one's ability to think critically.
