What's the difference between argument and sophism?

Argument


Definition:

  • (n.) Proof; evidence.
  • (n.) A reason or reasons offered in proof, to induce belief, or convince the mind; reasoning expressed in words; as, an argument about, concerning, or regarding a proposition, for or in favor of it, or against it.
  • (n.) A process of reasoning, or a controversy made up of rational proofs; argumentation; discussion; disputation.
  • (n.) The subject matter of a discourse, writing, or artistic representation; theme or topic; also, an abstract or summary, as of the contents of a book, chapter, poem.
  • (n.) Matter for question; business in hand.
  • (n.) The quantity on which another quantity in a table depends; as, the altitude is the argument of the refraction.
  • (n.) The independent variable upon whose value that of a function depends.
  • (v. i.) To make an argument; to argue.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) "Britain needs to be in the room when the euro countries meet," he said, "so that it can influence the argument and ensure that what the 17 do will not damage the market or British interests.
  • (2) It is entirely proper for serving judges to set out the arguments in high-profile cases to help public understanding of the legal issues, as long as it is done in an even-handed way.
  • (3) Environment groups Environment groups that have strongly backed low-carbon power have barely wavered in their opposition to nuclear in the last decade, although their arguments now are now much about the cost than the danger it might pose.
  • (4) Cameron had a legitimate argument, but the marines didn't want to hear it.
  • (5) This is not an argument for the status quo: teaching must be given greater priority within HE, but the flipside has to be an understanding on the part of students, ministers, officials, the public and the media that academics (just like politicians) cannot make everyone happy all of the time.
  • (6) Pathological changes may, thus, be initially confined to projecting and intrinsic neurons localized in cortical and subcortical olfactory structures; arguments are advanced which favor the view that excitotoxic phenomena could be mainly responsible for the overall degenerative picture.
  • (7) The legs of that argument were cut off by the financial crisis.
  • (8) These changes in the isozyme pattern of PK in aggressive fibromatosis may act as another argument to place them in the category of malignant fibroblastic tumors.
  • (9) This provides a compelling argument that the protein kinase function of p37mos is an intrinsic property of the protein.
  • (10) He always had a logical approach to his arguments and I would have described him as fair at the time.
  • (11) There are, however, plenty of arguments to be made about the Slim Reaper's supporting cast.
  • (12) The soldiers allegedly launched the attack after one of their comrades was killed when he became involved in an argument over a woman near Fizi hospital.
  • (13) In support of this argument, a case of erosive arthritis is reported in a skeleton from Kulubnarti, Republic of the Sudan (c. 700-1450 A.D.).
  • (14) Mallon's finance and resources director, Paul Slocombe, thinks Pickles's argument is "slightly disingenuous" because the funding was part of the last spending review, which ends on 31 March.
  • (15) Since the four determining coefficients may change over evolutionary time-scales, the mathematical results together with a natural selection argument proves that virulence gamma 2 attenuates.
  • (16) It seeks to acquaint them with 'ethical' arguments against their work which, because they are simple and plausible, persuade many people.
  • (17) The IFS gave this argument an airing today, and produced figures to show that – on such a basis – the VAT rise was a fair tax after all.
  • (18) Questions are raised as to the validity of arguments that crossover positions have been demonstrated to be normally established only during pachytene (after synapsis is maximal).
  • (19) The rioting began on Wednesday after a deadly argument between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers in Meikhtila.
  • (20) However, to insist that those who advise an IUD with the motive of contraception cannot herefore object to, say, intrauterine saline aimed at the destruction of a moving 27-week fetus is, in my view, stretching his argument.

Sophism


Definition:

  • (n.) The doctrine or mode of reasoning practiced by a sophist; hence, any fallacy designed to deceive.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) It blamed "confrontation maniacs" for "[making their] servants of conservative media let loose a whole string of sophism intended to hatch all sorts of dastardly wicked plots and float misinformation".