Define validity. Explain the main idea behind this concept in your own words. Know the answers
to these questions:
a. Must a valid argument have all true premises? Why or why not?
b. Must a valid argument have a true conclusion? Why or why not?
c. Can a valid argument be unsound? If so, when?
Validity is a concept in logic that refers to the relationship between the premises and the conclusion in an argument. An argument is considered valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises, regardless of whether the premises are true or false. In other words, if the premises were true, then the conclusion would have to be true as well.
a. A valid argument does not necessarily have all true premises. It only needs to have a logical connection between the premises and the conclusion. It is possible for an argument to have false premises and still be valid, as long as the conclusion logically follows from those premises.
b. Similarly, a valid argument does not necessarily have a true conclusion. The validity of an argument only pertains to the logical relationship between the premises and the conclusion. It is possible for a valid argument to have a false conclusion if the reasoning is sound and the conclusion follows logically from the premises.
c. Yes, a valid argument can be unsound. An argument is unsound if it is not valid or if it has false premises. So, even though a valid argument must have a logical connection between the premises and the conclusion, it can still be unsound if the premises are false.