ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a way to formulate deductive arguments using a representation by logical expressions (symbolic logic). This representation reveals the general form of deductive arguments, which can then be analyzed for their validity. Translating simple statements from ordinary language into symbols is the first step. Then more complex statements can be represented by using logical operations such as and, or, not, and if-then. These logical connectives are defined for all the possible truth-values of their component statements. Truth-tables provide a useful tool for organizing this information; they also support an ironclad method of determining whether a proposed argument is valid, based on a truth-function analysis of its premises and conclusion. The following chapter explores alternative ways to evaluate deductive arguments, especially useful when the truth-table method becomes too tedious.
