Learn · Argumentation
Understand the moves.
Read in order for a foundation, or open the lesson that addresses your last mistake.
Start here · 6 min
Find the argument before judging it
Separate the claim being supported from the reasons, background, and concessions around it.
Evidence & inference · 6 min
Ask how much the evidence establishes
Distinguish deductive validity, probable support, and the truth of the premises.
Rules & quantifiers · 8 min
Handle conditional rules precisely
Use sufficient and necessary conditions without reversing an implication.
The missing bridge · 8 min
Distinguish necessary from sufficient assumptions
Identify what an argument depends on and what would make its conclusion follow.
Causes & comparisons · 7 min
Test a causal explanation
Consider alternative causes, selection effects, time order, and a fair comparison.
Quantitative reasoning · 7 min
Read samples, rates, and comparisons
Notice selection, denominators, baselines, averages, and what a survey actually asks.
Flaws & fair criticism · 8 min
Describe the error before naming it
Recognize common inference failures without using labels as substitutes for explanation.
Evaluate & resolve · 6 min
Ask a question that could change your mind
Choose information that discriminates between explanations rather than merely adding detail.
Principles & analogies · 6 min
Apply a principle at the right scope
Connect general rules to particular cases and compare the underlying form of arguments.
From drills to deliberation · 7 min
Make objections that improve an argument
Reconstruct a position fairly, locate the disagreement, and revise in response to a serious objection.