Answer: Valid and sound are two important concepts in deductive reasoning that help to evaluate the strength of an argument. Validity refers to the logical structure of an argument, while soundness is a measure of both its logical structure and the truth of its premises. In essence, a valid argument is one in which the premises lead logically to the conclusion, while a sound argument is one in which the premises are not only logical but also true.
Let us start with validity. A valid argument is one where the conclusion follows logically from the premises. This means that if the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true. An example of a valid argument is the following:
Premise 1: All mammals are warm-blooded animals.
Premise 2: Whales are mammals.
Conclusion: Therefore, whales are warm-blooded animals.
Here, the conclusion follows logically from the premises, and the argument is therefore considered valid. The truth of the premises, however, is not guaranteed, and this is where the concept of soundness comes in.
A sound argument is one where the premises are true and the argument is valid. An example of a sound argument is the following:
Premise 1: All bachelors are unmarried men.
Premise 2: John is a bachelor.
Conclusion: Therefore, John is an unmarried man.
In this argument, the premises are true and the conclusion follows logically, making the argument both valid and sound.
However, it is possible for a valid argument to be unsound if one or more of its premises are false, as in the following example:
Premise 1: All cats are reptiles.
Premise 2: Fluffy is a cat.
Conclusion: Therefore, Fluffy is a reptile.
This argument is valid because the conclusion logically follows from the premises, but it is unsound because the premises are false.
On the other hand, a sound argument cannot be invalid, as it must satisfy both the criteria of logical structure and truth of premises. Thus, for an argument to be sound, it must be both valid and have true premises.
In conclusion, validity and soundness are two important concepts in deductive reasoning that help to evaluate the strength of an argument. A valid argument is one where the conclusion follows logically from the premises, while a sound argument is one where the premises are not only logical but also true. It is possible for a valid argument to be unsound if one or more of its premises are false, but a sound argument must be both valid and have true premises.
Explanation: i don't need one and my answer is not complicated * i hoped this helped*