Validity and soundness are words you might hear a lot in philosophy discussions. They can be confusing, so let’s break them down simply:
Validity: An argument is valid if its conclusion makes sense based on the starting points, called premises. It doesn’t matter if those starting points are true or false. You can think of validity as how well the argument is built.
Soundness: An argument is sound only if it is valid AND the starting points are really true. This means soundness is a stronger statement.
A lot of people think that if an argument is valid, it has to be sound too. But that’s not true!
Knowing the difference between validity and soundness is super helpful. It can clear up debates and help you think more critically.
Validity and soundness are words you might hear a lot in philosophy discussions. They can be confusing, so let’s break them down simply:
Validity: An argument is valid if its conclusion makes sense based on the starting points, called premises. It doesn’t matter if those starting points are true or false. You can think of validity as how well the argument is built.
Soundness: An argument is sound only if it is valid AND the starting points are really true. This means soundness is a stronger statement.
A lot of people think that if an argument is valid, it has to be sound too. But that’s not true!
Knowing the difference between validity and soundness is super helpful. It can clear up debates and help you think more critically.