LINKING: THE KEY PROCESS IN REASONING 27
- Everyone knows that Australia has great natural beauty and a marvel-
lous climate, and that makes it clear why many tourists come here.
['Everyone knows that' signals that a premise or premises are following
it, and 'that makes it clear why' links these premises to 'many tourists
come here'—the conclusion that these premises explain.]
Exercise 3.1
Here are the five examples from above. Rewrite each of them so that the
reasoning is the same (i.e. the same premise and same conclusion) but in a
different way, thus helping you to see how natural language can vary widely and
that there is an underlying logic which can be expressed in various ways.
a. I found out today that I had passed my exam. I was elated.
b. Because I felt ill, I went home from work.
c. We need to learn to think: it helps us to do better at work and to do better
at university.
d. John has passed his final exams. This means that he is a fully qualified
lawyer.
e. Everyone knows that Australia has great natural beauty and a marvellous
climate, and that makes it clear why many tourists come here.Exercise 3.2
Here are three claims. Using the last claim as your conclusion and the first
two as premises, write three different arguments in natural language and
using a variety of different linking formations. Monitor the way in which the
words reflect and signal your mental processes of linking premises and
conclusions.
- The road is wet.
- Wet roads increase the risk of accident.
- You should drive more carefully.
The problem of understanding linkages
There are many different words and phrases that appear in natural language to
link claims together explicitly. There are also many ways of writing claims so they
are clearly linked. But the linkages are not dependent on having the link words
there in your writing. If you think, for example, that 'Australia should become a
republic because this change will make Australia a more independent nation',
then the linkage of this conclusion with this premise occurs because you think it
is so (so long as you have sound reasons for that thought). Link words such as
'because' are very useful as signposts, which you can use to help others follow