According to the chapter, the first step in evaluating a piece of reasoning is to
A) add needed unstated assumptions.
B) appraise its success or failure.
C) find the conclusion.
D) naively accept the argument.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first step in evaluating a piece of reasoning is to find the conclusion, as this is what the argument is trying to prove or persuade the listener/reader to believe. Once the conclusion is identified, one can then move on to evaluating the soundness of the argument and identifying any assumptions that may be missing. Simply adding unstated assumptions or naively accepting the argument without first identifying the conclusion would not be an effective way to evaluate the reasoning.

According to the Chapter, the First Step in Evaluating a Piece