Identifying Arguments Questions Directions Read the argument and

Identifying Arguments Questions Directions: Read the argument and answer the questions 1. What is the main argument? (In your own words) 2. What evidence/supporting arguments are provided? (Give two examples) 3. What is the counterargument? 4. Are there any opinions stated as facts? (Give one example) (Quote from the article) 5. Is this argument bias? Why or Why not?

1. What is the main argument? (possible answers) • Aigul- I support the school’s decision to serve pizza for lunch. The school should serve pizza for lunch. • Ramazan-I do not support the school’s decision to serve pizza for lunch. The school should not serve pizza for lunch. Fast food should not be eaten at school.

2. What evidence/supporting arguments are provided? (Give two examples) • Aigul 1. Pizza is tasty. 2. Students like pizza. 3. Students will be happy and do better in school. • Ramazan 1. Parents should decide what students eat. 2. Pizza is not healthy 3. Students will be tired after eating pizza. 4. Pizza will make students fat.

3. What is the counterargument? Opposite of the main argument • Aigul- The school shouldn’t serve pizza for lunch. • Ramazan- The school should serve pizza for lunch.

4. Are there any opinions stated as facts? Give one example from the text. • Aigul 1. “All students like pizza and we will be able to eat it every day. ” 2. “This will make students very happy and they will do better in school because they are happy with the lunch they ate. ” • Ramazan 1. “The students will surely be tired after eating all of that junk food. ” 2. “It will make everyone fat. ”

5. Is this argument bias? Why? • Aigul- YES! Students may like pizza but eating it everyday can be healthy. The argument is one -sided. • Ramazan- YES! Pizza can be a healthy and unhealthy addition to any diet. Veggie pizza with low fat cheese on wheat crust can be very nutritious. School can also make student tired not just the food. The argument is one-sided.

Logical Fallacies Deconstructing Arguments Courtesy of: http: //www. unc. edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/fallacies. html

What is Fallacy? Fallacies are defects (problems) that weaken arguments.

What is Fallacy? First, fallacies in arguments are very, very common and persuasive. You can find examples of fallacies in newspapers, advertisements, and other materials.

What is Fallacy? Second, it is sometimes hard to figure out whether an argument is faulty. An argument might be very weak, somewhat strong, or very strong.

Hasty Generalization • Definition: Making assumptions about a whole group – Stereotypes about people ( “All Americans are fat and eat KFC ”) are a common example of the principle underlying hasty generalization. • Example: "My roommate said her biology class was hard, and the one I'm in is hard, too. All biology classes must be hard!" – Two people's experiences are, in this case, not enough on which to base a conclusion. Assumption-something that you consider to be true with no one telling you or with no direct proof

Appeal to Authority • Definition: Often we add strength to our arguments by referring to respected sources or authorities and explaining their positions on the issues we're discussing. – If we try to get readers to agree with us by impressing them with a famous name who really isn't much of an expert on the topic, we commit the fallacy of appeal to authority. • Example: "We should become vegetarians. Many respected people, such as author Leo Tolstoy and Albert Einstein were vegetarians. "

Ad Hominem “against the man” This fallacy gets its name from the Latin phrase which “means against the man”. • Definition The ad hominem fallacy is the fallacy of attacking the person offering an argument rather than the argument itself. • Examples: . “Don’t listen to him, he’s a jerk”. - This statement says nothing about the argument.

Slippery Slope • Definition: The arguer claims that a sort of chain reaction, usually ending in some serious consequence, will take place, but there's really not enough evidence for that assumption. – The arguer says that if we take even one step onto the "slippery slope, " we will end up sliding all the way to the bottom; he or she assumes we can't stop halfway down the hill. • Example: "Animal experimentation reduces our respect for life. If we don't respect life, then we are likely to be more and more tolerant of violent acts like war and murder. Soon our society will end. To prevent this terrible consequence, we should make animal experimentation illegal right now. " – Since animal experimentation has been legal for some time and civilization has not yet ended, it seems particularly clear that this chain of events won't necessarily take place.

Straw Man • Definition: One way of making our own arguments stronger is to anticipate and respond in advance to the arguments that an opponent might make. The arguer sets up a bad version of the opponent’s position and tries to score point by knocking it down. • Example: “Schools want to ban all fast food and punish students! This is wrong, so the school s are wrong: Students and their fastfood should be left alone. " – This argument is made weak by being overstated--in fact, most schools do not propose an outright "ban" on fast food or any punishment for those who eat it.

Appeal to History • Definition: There are two types of appeal to history. 1. The first is committed by arguments that use past cases as a guide to the future. 2. The second type of appeal to history is committed when it is argued that because something has been done a particular way in the past, it ought to be done that way in the future. • Example: “The Ancient Romans ate dog meat, so we should eat it too. ” Just because something has been done, doesn’t mean that it will continue to be the case.

Appeal to Popularity • Definition: The appeal to popularity fallacy is the fallacy of arguing that because lots of people believe something it must be true. Popular opinion is not always a good guide to truth; even ideas that are widely accepted can be false. • Example: " “Pretty much everyone believes that NIS is the best school in Kazakhstan. Therefore all other school are terrible. ”

Can you name this Fallacy? I know three Kazakhs who have terrible tempers, and since Assel has is Kazakh, I’ll bet she has a terrible temper too. HASTY GENERALIZATION

Can you name this Fallacy? Person A: I think we should go to Joe's Fast Food because their burgers are delicious. Person B: No way! Cholesterol is not delicious! It tastes horrible! STRAW MAN

Can you name this Fallacy? We have to stop the cost of meat from increasing! The next thing you know, they'll be charging 4, 000 KZT a kilogram for meat! SLIPPERY SLOPE

Can you name this Fallacy? The meteorologist predicted the wrong amount of rain for May. Obviously the meteorologist is unreliable. HASTY GENERALIZATION

Can you name this Fallacy? I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the hit series “Hospital. " You can take it from me that when you need a fast acting, effective and safe pain killer there is nothing better than Morphi. Dope 2000. That is my considered medical opinion. APPEAL TO AUTHORITY

CREATE YOUR FALLACIES 1. You will work in pairs or groups of three. 2. You will be given a fallacy. 3. You must create an argument that uses the given fallacy. (Create at least two) 4. They other groups will guess your which fallacy your group has.