So how should we go about identifying hidden assumptions? There are two main steps involved. First,
determine whether the argument is valid or not
. If the argument is valid, the conclusion does indeed follow from the premises, and so the premises have shown explicitly the assumptions needed to derive the conclusion.
A hidden assumption is
a premise or assumption that supports an argument or theory without that assumption being made explicit
and thus the holder of the theory or argument may often be unaware of it.
How do you identify assumptions in an argument?
One of the most reliable ways to find assumptions is
to look for shifts in language between the premises and conclusion of an argument
. When new stuff appears in the conclusion that wasn’t discussed in the premises, it usually got there by way of an assumption.
A hidden premise is a premise
that is required in order to reach the stated conclusion
, but is not itself stated clearly in the argument. Consider the following: “My bag of candy is better than yours, because mine has more red pieces”. This is not a valid argument as written, what is wrong with it?
How do you know if something is an assumption?
There’s at
least one significant gap
. When there’s a gap in an argument (in other words, a missing link between support and conclusion) that argument is assuming that something is true without stating it. In other words, it’s an assumption.
What are examples of assumptions?
assumption
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. An assumption is something that you assume to be the case, even without proof. For example, people might make the assumption that you’re a nerd if you wear glasses, even though that’s not true.
Hidden assumptions are
statements that are implied by your argument–statements that you need to get from A to Z
. For instance, look at the statement: Joanne’s a lawyer, so she makes wonderful cookies. The speaker doesn’t tell us what kind of cookies Joanne makes, nor what is so wonderful about them.
What is a missing premise?
As we can see from this example, a missing premise is a
premise that the argument needs in order to be as strong as possible
. Typically, this means supplying the statement(s) that are needed to make the argument valid. But in addition to making the argument valid, we want to make the argument plausible.
What is an implied conclusion?
As you may have guessed by now, a hidden/implied conclusion is
a conclusion that is not explicitly stated but supported by the premises
. Hidden or implied conclusions are almost always (but not exclusively) contained in advertising or editorial cartoons.
How do you find premises?
If it’s being offered as a reason to believe another claim, then it’s functioning as a premise. If
it’s expressing the main point of the argument
, what the argument is trying to persuade you to accept, then it’s the conclusion. There are words and phrases that indicate premises too.
What are the three types of assumptions?
- Paradigmatic.
- Prescriptive.
- Casual.
What is the difference between assumption and claim?
is that
claim is a demand of ownership made for something
(eg claim ownership, claim victory) while assumption is the act of assuming]], or taking to or upon one’s self; the act of [[take up|taking up or adopting.
How do you write assumption?
Explain and give examples of why your assumptions are probably true. For example, if you are assuming that participants will provide honest responses to your questions, explain the data collection process and how you will preserve anonymity and confidentiality to maximize truthfulness.
What are the two types of assumptions?
Assumptions can be either
explicit (directly stated)
or implicit (not directly stated but implied). When you identify someone’s assumptions, look for both kinds.
What is a core assumption?
I call this our core assumption. It is
the first and most basic of all of our assumptions
, and it is the one from which our other assumptions and later our beliefs and knowledge stem. It is the starting point from where we try to understand ourselves and the world around us.
What is it called when you make an assumption?
premise. (
also premiss
), presumption, presupposition, supposition.
