Thứ Hai, 19 tháng 11, 2012

Entry 4_Phạm Thị Quế

Entry 4: Argument Structures and Fallacies

Item 1 [1]

John and Bill are discussing the possibility of a strike at their factory. John says, "I'm certain that Jim Powers will join the strikers." Bill wonders how he can be so sure that Powers, a thirty-year employee and a foreman respected by both labor and management, will go on strike.
John explains: "In the past twenty-five years, there have been several strikes at the factory, some before it become a union shop. In each strike, all union members went on strike. Jim Powers, though a friend of management, is a union member. Thus, union members will strike and Jim Powers will strike with the others."

All union members will strike (All S are P)
Jim Powers is a union member (a is S)
__________________________________________
Therefore, Jim Powers will strike. (therefore, a is P)
=> valid argument HOWEVER it is unsound because one of the premises "all union members will strike" is not correct, in other words, its truth value is not reliable.
This argument should be revised as follows:
Almost all union members will strike
Jim Powers is a union member
__________________________________________
Therefore, Jim Powers will properly strike.

Item 2 [2]

"Everyone I've met this morning is going to vote for the incumbent. The incumbent is going to win."
"How many people did you meet?"
"Three"
à Content fallacies (Hasty generalization)
Because the conclusion based on too few people.

Item 3 [3]

"Now, only two things can be done with the savings and loan places. You either shut them down now or let them go bankrupt."
à Fallacies of presumption (false dilemma)       
There are some solutions else such as paying in instalments, leaving something as security and assigning property.

Reference:

[1], [3] Lee Brandon, Mount San Antonio College, Paragraphs and Essays with multicultural readings, p. 388 - 390, D. C. Health and Company, Lexington, Massachusetts Toronto.
[2] Retrieved from: http://prezi.com/_fdyzlp0lhev/argumentation/

5 nhận xét:

  1. Nhận xét này đã bị tác giả xóa.

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  2. dear my friend
    i think you should analysize your item 2 clearly
    the person only met three poeple who is going to vote for incumbent but he claim that the incumbent will win. this conclusion is base on few people
    contetn fallacy: hasty generalization

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  3. I would like to add the fallacy "Appeal to popularity" to item 2. The first person say that: "Everyone I've met this morning is going to vote for the incumbent => The incumbent is going to win."

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  4. I have the same opinion as Hanh,in item 2, it is both Hasty generalization and Appeal to popularity.
    In the final entry, I think you should write source instead of reference. Reference # source.

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  5. Item 1:
    John starts his argument from the event "In the past twenty-five years, there have been several strikes at the factory, some before it become a union shop. In each strike, all union members went on strike", so the structure of this argument should be:

    In the past, all union members went on strike whenever there was one
    The situation in the past is correct in present time and in future as well
    If there is a strike in the future, all union members will go on strike
    There will be a strike in the future
    Power is a union member
    ________________________________________________________
    Power will certainly attend that strike.

    The argument is valid because if all the premises are true, then the conclusion is true. However, it contains a fallacy of relevance because the situation in the past and that in present time and future are of no relevance. Specifically, it is a kind of appeal to tradition.

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