Exam 1: An Introduction to Arguments

Consider the following argument: "The SS Central America, a steamship carrying almost 600 passengers and 21 tons of gold from the California gold rush, sank off the Carolina coast in 1492. The oil tanker Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in 1992, spilling tens of millions of gallons of oil in Alaska. Therefore, the Exxon Valdez spill was the largest oil spill in history." Which of the following is NOT a problem for this argument?

Consider René Descartes's famous argument, "I think. Therefore, I am." The claim "I think" is:

Consider the following argument: "George Washington was a man. Thomas Jefferson was a man. Abraham Lincoln was a man. Teddy Roosevelt was a man. John F. Kennedy was a man. Barack Obama is a man. Therefore, all U.S. Presidents have been men." One problem with this argument is:

The three criteria for evaluating an argument are: