EVALUATE OPINION

REVIEW:

Question
Review:

Argument
Review:

Conversation
Review:

Wisdom
Opinion is a belief, impression,
judgment held by a person.
An argument is a statement or set of
statements that you use in order to
try to convince people that your
opinion about something is correct.
 An argument is a conclusion based
upon evidence (i.e. premises).
 In everyday life, people often use "argument" to
mean a quarrel between people. But in logic and
critical thinking, an argument is a list of
statements, one of which is the conclusion and the
others are the premises or assumptions of the
argument.
Opinion vs. Argument
• An opinion is a claim without support:

Example: "Assisted suicide should not be legalised under any

circumstances.“

There is no reason given for this claim.

Opinion vs. Argument
• This opinion could be made into an argument:

• “Assisted suicide should not be legalized under any circumstances

because it might be misused, it runs counter to the value of
promoting life, and it places the state and those who would assist
in the suicide in the role of the Creator.“

• This is now an argument because the claim or conclusion is

supported by reasons.
How do you evaluate an
argument?
Criteria in Evaluating an Argument:
1.) Fairness - impartial and just treatment or behavior
without favoritism or discrimination. Fairness builds
personal character and promotes honesty and respect for
others.
Is the argument fair and balanced, or does it contain bias? Is
the argument overly emotional and filled with loaded
language? Is the argument one-sided? Are there alternative
points of view not addressed?
Criteria in Evaluating an Argument:
2.) Evidence - the available body of facts or information
indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or
valid.
 Are the given premises reliable and relevant?
Criteria in Evaluating an Argument:
3.) Logic - is the study of reasoning --- the nature of
good (correct) reasoning and of bad (incorrect)
reasoning. Logicians study and analyze arguments,
premises, inferences, propositions, conditional
statements, and symbolic forms.
 Are the arguments thoroughly explained? Do they contain
gaps in reasoning or logical fallacies?
Criteria in Evaluating an Argument:
4.) Tone - refers to an author’s use of words and writing
style to convey his or her attitude towards a topic. Tone is
often defined as what the author feels about the subject.
What the reader feels is known as the mood.
Is the attitude of the writer appropriate for the content?
 How can we come up with a
sound and valid argument? Cite a
specific instance that you had
experienced in relation to this.
Why is evaluating an opinion significant in
your daily dealings with your
a. classmates/friends?
b. teachers?
c. siblings?
d. parents?
e. community?
What are the qualities of a good
argument?
A good argument possesses the
four criteria namely: fairness,
evidence, logic, and tone.