Philosophy Formal Logic Questions Medium
In formal logic, soundness and validity are two important concepts that are used to evaluate arguments.
Validity refers to the logical structure of an argument. An argument is considered valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises. In other words, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true. Validity is determined solely by the logical form of the argument, regardless of the truth or falsity of the premises and conclusion. If an argument is valid, it means that the conclusion is supported by the premises in a way that guarantees its truth.
On the other hand, soundness goes beyond validity and incorporates the truth value of the premises. An argument is considered sound if it is valid and all of its premises are true. Soundness requires both logical validity and the truth of the premises. If an argument is sound, it means that not only does the conclusion logically follow from the premises, but the premises themselves are also true.
To summarize, validity focuses on the logical structure of an argument, while soundness takes into account both the logical structure and the truth of the premises. A valid argument can have false premises or a false conclusion, but a sound argument must have true premises and a valid logical structure.