Strong Versus Valid

Epstein states that a good argument can either be strong or valid. He says that an argument can be both strong and valid but the argument may beg the question if one tries to use both. Epstein states that "a strong argument with true premises is sometimes better than a valid one with the same question" (48). I believe this to be true because the way each one is presented can mean the same thing but end up being different. An everyday life example of a valid argument would be that San Jose city does daily street cleaning. Therefore, all the streets in San Jose are clean. An example of a strong argument would be that Scott visited San Jose. He had never visited San Jose before and really liked it. Scott really likes San Jose.

An Argument: Good or Bad?

There are many everyday examples of of good valid argument. One argument could be about shoes for instance. My friend Christine has seven pairs of shoes. There are seven days in a week. Therefore she has a pair of shoes for everyday of the week. This is a good valid argument because both premises are true. Also, both premises eliminate the fact that the conclusion cannot be false. Therefore this is a valid argument.

My friend Alex does not study for his final exams and does horrible. The final exams are based on the readings in the book. Therefore due to Alex not studying, he fails his final exams. This is a good valid argument because both premises are plausible and are more plausible than the conclusion. Also, both premises eliminate the thought the conclusion is not false. Therefore this is also a good argument.