To check an argument: (1) identify the premises, (2) identify whether its pattern is istithna’i or iqtirani, and (3) ask whether the conclusion must follow if the premises are true. “If fire then heat; heat; therefore fire” fails because heat may have other causes. The flaw is in the inference, not its length.
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Diagnosing a faulty inference
Types of Qiyas: Istithna’i and Iqtirani
To check an argument: (1) identify the premises, (2) identify whether its pattern is istithna’i or iqtirani, and (3) ask whether the conclusion must follow if the premises are true. “If fire then heat; heat; therefore fire” fails because heat may have other causes. The flaw is in the inference, not its length.