Due April 30. Late May 7.
Reading:
Part 1 Fallacies Study Questions 15 points
Answer the following in the answer box in Etudes or in a Word document. Number each answer carefully.
Use the following list of fallacies to answer questions 1 and 2: See http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/index.html#index for descriptions.
Ad Hominem
Ad Populum (Appeal to Popularity or Bandwagon)
Appeal to Emotion
Appeal to Tradition
Appeal to Pity
Begging the Question
Either Or (False Dilemma)
Hasty Generalization
Questionable Authority (Appeal to Authority)
Red Herring
Slippery Slope
Straw Man
In your answers for the questions below, state the type of fallacy and then describe how it appears in the text of the passage. For example: The ad populum fallacy appears in the sentence "Everyone agrees that Internet pornography causes more violence against women."
1. (6 points) Read the following passage:
Many years ago, life was so quiet. One just heard the birds chirping and the rustle of trees in the wind. People were calmer and had better relationships with each other. Noise makes you irritable and more likely to argue and lash out at your loved ones. Everyone I know is complaining about how much noise bombards us all day long. I cannot even enjoy solitude in my own home without some moron illegal immigrant gardener attacking my eardrums with a leaf blower. Studies have shown that we are experiencing measurable hearing loss at a much earlier age. Something must be done to quiet our lives or we will all be using sign language to communicate.
There are six of the fallacies listed above in this passage. Name three different fallacies and identify the text it appears in.
2. (6 points) Read the following passage:
I have taken Ms. Lane's online CO INFO 1 class three times and each time I have had to drop the class. So has my friend Jan. She is way too hard and you will either fail or have to drop if you take her class. I took an online Sociology class last semester and got an 'A.' That proves I am a good online student and should be getting A's in her class too. She takes off points if your assignment is only one week late and will not accept work after that. That is a rigid and unfair policy. I could not afford to buy the textbooks until the fourth week of class and I lost a lot of points on the assignments. How can Ms. Lane expect us to turn in work early in the semester when the books are so expensive? She doesn't understand that students have complicated lives. My boyfriend doesn't help me at all with our two young kids and I have to go to work every day. My boss told me I'll lose my job if I miss any more days. The economy is so bad, I'll never find another job. My computer has a virus and is not working right, so I have to drive to my Mom's house to do schoolwork. I log into the class once a week and post to the discussion, Ms. Lane says I am failing because I haven't submitted finished assignments to Assignments, Tests and Surveys. On top of everything, my grandmother is in the hospital and will probably not live much longer. I wish Ms. Lane would be more understanding.
There are six of the fallacies listed above in this passage. Name three different fallacies and identify the text it appears in.
3. (3 points) The previous examples were made up to highlight the fallacies. This is a "real" letter to the editor from the Daily Breeze, 15 July 2009 (slightly modified).
Pitfalls of ObamaCare
Dr. David Wood's July 10 letter concerning the "pitfalls" of President Obama's health care plan only proves where doctors stand on the matter.
Greedy doctors don't want socialized medicine because they wouldn't make as much money because the government would take a more active role in controlling prices. This is the reason why so many people end up in the ER. Hospitals have to treat everyone who comes through their doors while doctors demand payment up front. My primary care physician has a sign in her lobby which says if you don't have the money for your co-pay or for the office visit, let the office staff know and they'll be happy to reschedule you for another day. This is typical of doctor's attitudes today.
What I find objectionable about Obama's plan is that it's only supposed to cover the 47million Americans who don't have insurance, rather than the entire population. The reason is obvious. Like all politicians, Obama is selling out to appease the cold-hearted insurance industry.
I had some hope that maybe we would join the rest of the civilized world where everyone would have health insurance, but the plan Obama wants to institute, along with their plan to force people to buy insurance even if they can't, leaves me in the cold.
Identify a fallacy in this editorial. Name the fallacy and describe why you think it applies.
If you typed your answers in a Word document, save it as Asn8 and upload to Assignment 8 in Assignments, Tests and Surveys.
Part 2 Multiple Choice Quiz
Take a 15 point quiz on the reading in Dozer's Guide