---
title: "How arguments work"
course: "PHIL 101 · Big questions in philosophy"
unit: "Thinking philosophically"
lesson: 2 of 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/how-arguments-work
publisher: Maestro College
---

# How arguments work

Lesson 2 of 16 in **Big questions in philosophy** (PHIL 101), unit "Thinking philosophically". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Identify the premises and conclusion of a short argument.
- Explain the difference between a valid argument and a sound one.
- Test an argument by looking for a false premise or a counterexample.
- Rewrite an argument found in everyday conversation as numbered premises and a conclusion.

## Teaching notes
Use clearly silly but valid arguments (all cats can fly; Tom is a cat; so Tom can fly) to separate validity from truth. Then practice on real-life claims. Mention that classical Indian logic (Nyaya) also developed a formal structure for arguments, to show reasoning is a shared human project.

## Course boundaries
Present philosophical views fairly in their strongest form, including non-Western traditions. Do not push your own conclusions on open questions, and keep religious and political topics balanced and respectful.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 2 complete: How arguments work."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Knowledge and skepticism" (lesson 3 of 16), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/big-questions-in-philosophy/knowledge-and-skepticism.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: What is philosophy?
Next lesson: Knowledge and skepticism