Any tips on diagramming SA/NA questions quickly?

kelseyperkins1192

On BR, I always get SA and NA right because I can take the time to diagram them correctly and really think about it. But when I'm timed there's just no way I can coherently figure out the diagram in enough time that I should. Anyone else having this problem and have any tips?

Thanks!

Excellent.Fondue

It sounds like you might be thinking too hard. When you encounter a conditional statement, you should not need much time to think about what the necessary condition is and what the sufficient condition is. Know the indicators of necessity and sufficiency like the back of your hand. Spot the indicators in the statement, then diagram immediately. Generally, you should not be taking time to consider the meaning of the conditions. Some of the SA and NA questions, as you know, contain highly abstract ethical arguments, complex scientific concepts, among other obscure ideas. You simply won't have time to attempt to gain a deep understanding of them. Instead, diagram the conditional statement and focus on the task. For SA questions, add a premise to justify the conclusion. For NA questions, find the "minimal" claim that must be true for the argument's validity. SA and NA questions allow for a more formulaic approach.

You may also just need more practice. I would recommend trying the questions involving conditional reasoning between PT1 and PT20. You'll find the conditionality in those questions more straightforward. Once you can do those quickly, return to the more recent questions.

kelseyperkins1192

Thank you!

Louislepauvre

I see why you diagram SA, but I don't know why you would diagram NA. For NA, the answer is a MBT. Just go in looking for a MBT, and then negate the answer. If negating it would wreck the argument, then that's the answer.