Chapter 4: Repairing Arguments

In the textbook, I find Chapter 4 to be very useful and interesting. This chapter teaches me about several methods on how to fix arguments that are weak and lacking in an effective premise or an effective conclusion . In chapter 4, Epstein emphasizes the importance of repairing defective arguments by adding an unstated premise or an unstated conclusion. According to Epstein, he thinks that it’s only important to add a premise or conclusion if the argument will become stronger/valid, if the premise is plausible, and if the premise is more plausible than the conclusion. If the argument is already valid or strong, then we may choose to delete a premise to prevent the argument from becoming worse. I also find indicator words to be helpful in determining when the conclusion or premise is coming up in an argument. If I see words such as “so”, “therefore”, or “consequently”, then I will know that the conclusion is coming up. Words such as “since” or “because” are words that introduce the premises. These words make an argument very clear so that people can understand what we’re trying to argue about.

Chapter 5: Advertising on the Internet

I found this Proactive ad online. I thought I want to share it everyone: http://infomarketingblog.com/images/Proactive_Solution_Acne_ad_02.jpg

In this advertisement, Proactive claims that they have “a spotless reputation” because it works by “clearing up the blemishes on your skin and with continued use, helps prevent new ones from forming.” I disagree with this claim because based on my personal experience, I have had a bad experience with using their product. During my freshman year in high school, I was suffering from terrible acne and I tried many over-the-counter products but they didn’t work. When I saw the Proactive advertisement on TV and saw the positive results given by other people and celebrities, I was motivated to try it out. However, the results didn’t turn out very good for me as expected. It was ok the first day but after using it for three more days, I started getting lots of rashes. Plus, my pimples started getting bigger. It was then that I realized Proactive was damaging my skin; it wasn’t working at all. Then I went to go see a dermatologist and he said that i was allergic to proactive and should discontinue to use it. After having that bad experience, I did not trust Proactive anymore and I have to disagree with their claim that their product really works.

Then I went on “yahoo answers” to read over the reviews given by other people. A majority of the people claimed that Proactive was also damaging their skin, not giving the results they had expected. I should've read over these reviews befor trying it out. They were just paying celebrities to endorse their products. How would you know if celebrities had received positive results from using Proactive? I think the best way to get rid of your acne is to go see a dermatologist. Proactive doesn’t work, so don’t waste your money on it.

Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion: Begging the Question Fallacy

Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion: Begging the Question Fallacy

Begging the Question is basically a type of logical fallacy in which an argument asks the reader to accept the conclusion without providing any real evidence.. Why is “begging the question” considered a fallacy? Because simply assuming the conclusion to be true in the premises does not give evidence to prove that conclusion.

Example:
John: Driving on the right side of the road is necessary. (Conclusion)
Kim: Why is it necessary?
John: Because the law says so. (Premise)

In the example provided, John makes the argument driving on the right side of the road is a necessary. However, he hasn’t really provided any evidence on why that is necessary. He just left Kim asking the question, “Why is it necessary?”. By asking that. she is actually questioning the law. It can be seen that John’s argument is begging the question when he replies to Kim by saying “because the law says so”. By doing so, John is actually assuming the validity of Kim’s question.

Communicating in Small Groups and Teams

In the text, “The Essential Guide to Group Communication”, I found Chapter 1 which is entitled “Foundations of Communicating in Small Groups and Teams” to be very interesting. I really like the saying, “two heads are better than one”. This statement is very true because two or more people working together can help solve problems faster compared to only one person working alone. Sometimes working by yourself can be very hard since it takes a while to get things done. Furthermore, whenever you’re stuck or having trouble on something, your team members will be there to guide you or even give you suggestions on how to solve that problem. You can also develop your communication skills while working in groups because you will have the opportunity to talk and share your ideas with your team members.. Overall, I think that groups are very beneficial to our success especially in the future when we are taking part in the workplace.

Valid Arguments VS Strong Arguments

In a valid argument, the premises are all true so the conclusion also has to be true. In other words, since the premises are true, it’s impossible for the conclusion not to be true.

Example of valid argument:
A.)Mark is lactose intolerant. (premise)
B.) Therefore, Mark will get a stomachache from consuming dairy products (conclusion)
In this example, the premise of Mark being lactose intolerant is true so that means he can’t consume any dairy products at all, otherwise he will develop a stomachache.

In a strong argument, the premises could be true and the conclusion could be false.

Example of a strong argument:
A.) Mary was seen kissing a guy’s cheek (premise)
B.) Mary went to the movies with that guy (premise)
C.) So Mary has a boyfriend. (conclusion)

In this example, the premises could be true but the conclusion may be false. The guy she was seen with could’ve been her brother or a close friend. She was only seen kissing the guy on the “cheek”; that doesn’t mean the guy could be her boyfriend. Siblings can also share intimate kisses on the cheek. Also, the premise of her going to the movies with him doesn’t prove anything at all. Maybe Mary’s girlfriends were all busy and the guy was free so Mary decided to invite him to the movies. Therefore, the conclusion of Mary having a boyfriend may be false.

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Example of a Subjective Claim:
Rock music is annoying.

This is a subjective claim that cannot be proved true or false because it’s a personal opinion of how someone think of rock music. For me, I think rock music is very annoying because the screaming voice and the loud guitars gets on my nerves. However, this claim doesn’t hold true for everyone. Unlike me, some people like to listen to rock because they think that it makes them feel better after coming home from a long, stressful work while also giving them the energy to do their work properly.

Example of a Objective Claim.
The September 11th attack was the most disastrous events in US history.

This statement is true. The September 11th attack involved the destruction of the world trade center which in turn led to thousands of casualties. Over 100 people jumped to their deaths because they could not escape the tall buildings. After the attack, this event was broadcasted on the news for days with the scene of the plane hijacking the world trade center replaying over and over again. Many people were very shocked to learn about had happened. As you can see, the claim that the attack was “the most disastrous events in US history” is very true.

Introductory Post

Hello everyone, my name is Laura and I'm going to be in my third year in the fall semester. I'm currently majoring in Accounting as I'm very interested in handling money for a business. My goal is to get a bachelor's degree. I hope to open up an accounting firm someday and employ several accountants working under me. As for my communication experience, it was taking public speaking class last semester and doing oral presentations for my english class. My interests are going on the internet, shopping for clothes, listening to music, and watching T.V. In this class, I hope meet alot of cool people and also to learn as much as I can in the next twelve weeks. :)