Argument

A argument is a way to persuade someone of something. Reasons are given to accept the conclusion.^[1][2] The general structure of an argument in a natural language is that premises (propositions or statements) support the claim or conclusion.^[2][3][4]

Citizen making an argument at a town meeting.

This article is about "argument" as it relates to logic and philosophy. It is not about disagreement or pieces of information passed in computer code.

The strength and validity of arguments can be evaluated based on the factors such as relevance and truth of the premises, the logical structure connecting premises to the conclusion, and the overall coherence of the argument.

Reason

An argument is a Reason to support an opinion.

There can be a "strong argument" or a "convincing argument" (for example, a good reason for why something should be done). Arguing is the process of conducting an argument.

The opposite is a "weak argument" or an "unconvincing argument". Arguments can be valid or invalid or a combination of both. Some arguments may appear reasonable, but they turn out to be misleading or wrong.^[5]

Related pages

• Implication and inference
• Cosmological argument
• Dialectic
• Deductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning
• Fallacy
• Reasoning