Test #2

Just a reminder: test #2 is Monday, December 16th, from 7:00-9:00 p.m., in our normal classroom.

Homework #3: Advertising

Homework #3 is due at the beginning of class on Monday, December 2nd. Your assignment is to choose an ad (on TV or from a magazine or wherever) and evaluate it from a logic & reasoning perspective.

• First, very briefly explain the argument that the ad offers to sell its product.
• Then, list and explain the mistakes in reasoning that the ad commits.
• Then, list and explain the psychological ploys the ad uses (what psychological impediments does the ad try to exploit?).
• Attach (if it's from a newspaper or magazine) or briefly explain the ad.

Paper Guideline

Due Date: the beginning of class on Monday, December 9th, 2013

Worth: 10% of final grade

Length/Format: Papers must be typed, and must be between 400-800 words long. Provide a word count on the first page of the paper. (Most programs like Microsoft Word & WordPerfect have automatic word counts.)

Assignment:
1) Pick an article from a newspaper, magazine, or journal in which an author presents an argument for a particular position. There are some links to potential articles below.  I recommend choosing from those articles, though you are also free to choose an article on any topic you want.

PRO TIP: It’s easier to write this paper on an article with a BAD argument. Try finding a poorly-reasoned article!

If you don’t chose from the articles on the blog, you must show Sean your article by Monday, December 2nd for approval. The main requirement is that the article present an argument. One place to look for such articles is the Opinion page of a newspaper. Here is a list of possible articles. I strongly recommend using one of these articles, since many (the first 8 in particular) contain bad arguments:

1. Down With Facebook!: it's soooo lame
2. Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? generational I'M-SPECIAL-ism
3. Do Fish Feel Pain?: "it's a tricky issue, so I'll go with my gut"
4. In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: are some people just not meant for college?
5. Study Says Social Conservatives Are Dumb: but that doesn't mean they're wrong
6. A New Argument Against Gay Marriage: hetero marriage is unique & indispensable
7. Ben Stein's Confession for the Holidays: taking sides on the war on christmas
8. Get Over Ferris Bueller: it's an overrated movie
   
   
9. You Don't Deserve Your Salary: no one does
10. The Financial Crisis Killed Libertarianism: if it wasn't dead to begin with
11. How'd Economists Get It So Wrong?: Krugman says the least wrong was Keynes
12. An Open Letter to Krugman: get to know your field
13. Consider the Lobster: David Foster Wallace ponders animal ethics
14. Are Dolphins People?: an ocean full of sea-people
15. The Dark Art of Interrogation: Bowden says torture is necessary
16. The Idle Life is Worth Living: in praise of laziness
17. Should I Become a Professional Philosopher?: maybe not (update)
18. Blackburn Defends Philosophy: it beats being employed

Here’s a list of some other good sources:

• The New Yorker
• Slate
• New York Review of Books
• London Review of Books
• Times Literary Supplement
• Boston Review
• Atlantic Monthly
• The New Republic
• The Weekly Standard
• The Nation
• Reason
• Dissent
• First Things
• Mother Jones
• National Journal
• The New Criterion
• Wilson Quarterly
• The Philosophers' Magazine

(for even more sources, check out the left-hand column of Arts & Letters Daily)

2) In the essay, first briefly explain the article’s argument in your own words. What’s the position that the author is arguing for? What are the reasons the author offers as evidence for her or his conclusion? What type of argument does the author provide? In other words, provide a brief summary of the argument.
NOTE: This part of your paper shouldn’t be very long. I recommend making this only one paragraph of your paper.

3) In the essay, then evaluate the article’s argument. Overall, is this a good or bad argument? Why or why not? Systematically evaluate the argument:

• Check each premise: is each premise true? Are any false? Questionable? (Do research if you have to in order to determine whether the premises are true.)
• Then check the structure of the argument. Do the premises provide enough support for the conclusion?
• Does the argument contain any fallacies? If so, which one(s)? Exactly how does the argument commit it/them?

If you are criticizing the article’s argument, be sure to consider potential responses that the author might offer, and explain why these responses don’t work. If you are defending the article’s argument, be sure to consider and respond to objections.
NOTE: This should be the main part of your paper. Focus most of your paper on evaluating the argument.

4) If your paper is not on one of the articles linked to on the course blog, attach a copy of the article to your paper when you hand it in. (Save trees! Print it on few pages!)

Fun Monday: Evidence and Belief

You still have a chance to do the Fun Monday assignment if you missed it in class this week. Just print out the following worksheet (pdf) and fill in your answer for each statement.

(There will be some points off if your absence this week was unexcused.)

Quiz You Once, Shame on Me

The first quiz will be held at the beginning of class on Monday, October 14th. You will have about 25 minutes to take it.

There will be a multiple choice section, a section on understanding arguments, a section on evaluating deductive arguments, and a section where you provide examples of specific kinds of arguments. Basically, it will look like a mix of the homework, extra credit, and group work we've done in class so far.

The quiz is on what we have discussed in class from chapters 6, 8, and part of 7 of the textbook. Specifically, here's a lot of the stuff we've talked about in class so far that I expect you to know for the quiz:

• definitions of: logic, reasoning, argument, support, sound, valid, deductive, inductive
• understanding arguments
• evaluating arguments (truth and support!)
• deductive args (valid & sound)
• inductive args

The quiz is worth 7.5% of your overall grade.

Homework #1: Deductive Arguments

Homework assignment #1 is due at the beginning of class on Monday, October 7th. It's worth 3% of your overall grade. The assignment is to complete the worksheet I hand out in class.

If you don'tt get it in class, you can download the worksheet here. Or, if you can't download it, here are the questions on the worksheet:

DIRECTIONS: Provide original examples of the following types of arguments (in premise/conclusion form), if possible. If it is not possible, explain why.

1. A valid deductive argument with one false premise.

2. An invalid deductive argument with all true premises.

3. An unsound deductive argument that is valid.

4. A sound deductive argument that is invalid.


MULTIPLE CHOICE: Circle the correct response. Only one answer choice is correct.

5. If a deductive argument is unsound, then:
a) it must be valid.
b) it must be invalid.
c) it could be valid or invalid.

6. If a deductive argument is unsound, then:
a) at least one premise must be false.
b) all the premises must be false.
c) all the premises must be true.
d) not enough info to determine.

7. If a deductive argument is unsound, then:
a) its conclusion must be false.
b) its conclusion must be true.
c) its conclusion could be true or false.

8. If a deductive argument’s conclusion is true:
a) then the argument must be valid.
b) then the argument must be invalid.
c) then the argument could be valid or invalid.

9. If a deductive argument is sound, then:
a) it must be valid.
b) it must be invalid.
c) it could be valid or invalid.

10. If a deductive argument is sound, then:
a) at least one premise must be false.
b) all the premises must be false.
c) all the premises must be true.
d) not enough info to determine.

11. If a deductive argument is sound, then:
a) its conclusion must be true.
b) its conclusion must be false.
c) its conclusion could be true or false.

12. If a deductive argument’s conclusion is false:
a) then the argument must be valid.
b) then the argument must be invalid.
c) then the argument could be valid or invalid.

Group Presentations

Here are the assigned groups for the group presentations on fallacies, along with your topics and the tentative date of each presentation (those dates may be pushed back):

1. Ad Hominem & Appeal to Force (October 28th): Dan M., Devon, Jesse, Marisa, Sonya
2. Appeal to Pity & Popular Appeal (October 28th): Claire, Dennis, Jabari, Lauren, Steve
3. Appeal to Ignorance & Begging the Question (October 28th): Dan T., Frank, Kathleen, Kimberly
4. Straw Man & Red Herring (October 28th): Chelsey, David, Jennifer, Matt L., Nestor
5. Appeal to Authority & False Dilemm2 (November 4th): Adam, Timothy, Travis, Udoka
6. Slippery Slope & The Naturalistic Fallacy (November 4th): Mike C., Michael M., Rebecca, Sean

If you haven't been assigned to a group yet, let me know as soon as possible. Below are more details about the presentation.

During our section on fallacies, groups of 4-5 students will present short lessons on two specific fallacies that their members have researched on their own.

Groups are free to choose how to present their topic to the rest of the class. Be creative! Think about puppets, posters, cartoons, songs, skits, handouts, whatever. Part of your grade will be based on how creative your presentation is. Remember, though, that you are expected to teach these fallacies to the rest of the class. Although they will have read about your fallacies in our textbook, the rest of class will probably not be as familiar with the material you are presenting as your group is. Here are some helpful suggestions of things to include in your presentation:

• DEFINITION: A formal definition of each fallacy
• A slow, clear explanation in plain English of what those definitions mean
• EXAMPLES: Lots of specific examples of arguments that commit each fallacy
• Explanations of how it is that these example arguments commit the fallacy
• WHY BAD?: An explanation of why each fallacy is a mistake in reasoning

I also recommend incorporating class participation of some form into your presentation. At the end of each presentation, the group will answer questions from the rest of the class.

The presentation is worth 150 points (15% of your overall grade). Except in unusual circumstances, each group member shall receive the same grade. There will not be any time set aside in class for groups to research and prepare for their presentation, so you should meet outside class to work on this presentation.