Argument

Argument

In and philosophy, an argument is an attempt to persuade someone of something, by giving reasons or evidence for accepting a particular conclusion. The general structure of an argument in a natural language is that of premises (typically in the form of propositions, statements or sentences) in support of a claim: the conclusion. Many arguments can also be formulated in a formal language. An argument in a formal language shows the logical form of the natural language arguments obtained by its interpretations.*

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Famous quotes containing the word argument:

    “Argument is conclusive ... but ... it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of the truth, unless it finds it by the method of experiment.... For if any man who never saw fire proved by satisfactory arguments that fire burns ... his hearer’s mind would never be satisfied, nor would he avoid the fire until he put his hand in it ... that he might learn by experiment what argument taught.”
    —Roger Bacon (c. 1214–1294)

    “Of course poets have morals and manners of their own, and custom is no argument with them.”
    —Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)

    “Any authentic work of art must start an argument between the artist and his audience.”
    —Rebecca West (1892–1983)