An argument seems incomplete
You want to identify which reason is missing or which inference needs checking.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to think more logically with everyday examples
Test whether a conclusion follows from its reasons.
Separate the reasons from the conclusion, then look for a case where the reasons hold but the conclusion fails. Check the facts as well as the logic. The receipt example below lets you try this before choosing a personal learning goal in Cadence.
Want new features first?
A starting goal
I want to reason more clearly and spot weak arguments, including my own. Teach me the basics of logical thinking through everyday examples rather than formal notation.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Three things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
-
Separate the reasons from the conclusion
Try our example: every approved expense has a receipt; this expense has a receipt; therefore it is approved. The first two statements are premises. The last is the conclusion. Before reading on, ask whether both premises could be true while the conclusion is false.
-
Find a counterexample
An expense could have a receipt and still be awaiting approval. That possibility fits both premises, so the conclusion does not follow. This is called affirming the consequent. It does not prove the expense is unapproved either; the receipt alone cannot settle that question.
-
Check the logic, then check the facts
A valid version is: every approved expense has a receipt; this expense is approved; therefore it has a receipt. If those premises are true, the conclusion must be true. In a real decision, check the policy and approval record too. Valid reasoning does not make an unverified premise true.
Sources: OpenStax: premises, conclusions and truth versus logic; OpenStax: valid deductions and counterexamples. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Decision-making
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons
- Pace
- Yours. One lesson at a time, as often as you like.
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Where do you want sharper reasoning: work, arguments with people, reading the news, or your own decisions?
- Do you know any formal logic, or is this new?
- Is there an argument you are trying to evaluate right now?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
People disagree about a conclusion
Lay out the reasons and test them without assuming your own position is right.
You want to check your own thinking
Use the same questions for an argument you agree with and one you doubt.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06What an argument is
Premises, conclusions and the difference between valid reasoning and true premises.
Everyday fallacies
Inspect a mistaken inference through an original example.
Evidence and inference
Ask how much a reason supports the particular conclusion.
Hidden assumptions
Identify an unstated premise and check whether it is justified.
Your own thinking
Apply the same checks to a conclusion you initially support.
Reasoning with others
Compare the reasons, acknowledge corrections and state what remains uncertain.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
See the structure of an argument
Identify claims, reasons and the links between them.
Spot a mistaken inference
Use a counterexample to test whether a conclusion follows from its premises.
Check your own reasoning
Apply the same scrutiny to your conclusions as to other people's.
Ideas this course corrects
Logical people are unemotional
Logic is a tool for checking reasoning. It says nothing about how much you feel.
Logic means winning arguments
It means reaching sound conclusions, including the ones that go against you.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to think more logically with everyday examples: what can I do today?
Separate the reasons from the conclusion. Try our example: every approved expense has a receipt; this expense has a receipt; therefore it is approved. The first two statements are premises. The last is the conclusion. Before reading on, ask whether both premises could be true while the conclusion is false. Find a counterexample. An expense could have a receipt and still be awaiting approval. That possibility fits both premises, so the conclusion does not follow. This is called affirming the consequent. It does not prove the expense is unapproved either; the receipt alone cannot settle that question. Check the logic, then check the facts. A valid version is: every approved expense has a receipt; this expense is approved; therefore it has a receipt. If those premises are true, the conclusion must be true. In a real decision, check the policy and approval record too. Valid reasoning does not make an unverified premise true.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Separate the reasons from the conclusion, then look for a case where the reasons hold but the conclusion fails. Check the facts as well as the logic. The receipt example below lets you try this before choosing a personal learning goal in Cadence. It sits under Decision-making in the Work & ambitions part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Most courses run 7 to 30 lessons. The course length is sized to what you asked for. You set the pace: one lesson at a time, as often as you like. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
A starting goal
I want to reason more clearly and spot weak arguments, including my own. Teach me the basics of logical thinking through everyday examples rather than formal notation.
Want new features first?