Analyzing a Text and Evaluating Arguments

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Analyzing a Text and Evaluating Arguments
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Questions for Analysis(Hacker p. 66)

• PURPOSE Whats the thesis of the article? What
  is the authors point in writing the article?
• STRUCTURE How is the text organized? What are
  the main ideas and how do they relate to the
  thesis and to each other?
• AUDIENCE Who is the audience?

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Questions for Analysis

• What strategies does the author use to achieve
  the purpose? How does he/she try to persuade the
  audience that his/her argument is valid?
• What types of evidence does the author use to
  support his/her thesis? How good is this
  evidence? Is it observation, inference, or a
  combination of both?
• Point of view, tone, metaphor, context

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Questions for Analysis

• Does the author include opposing views? Does
  he/she respond to them effectively?
• Does the author leave any questions unanswered?
• Does the author use faulty reasoning or unfair
  arguments?

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Logical Fallacies

• Deaths from overdoses in Metropolis have doubled
  in the past three years. Therefore, more
  Americans than ever are dying from drug abuse.
• Hasty Generalization

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Logical Fallacies

• Politicians are corrupt.
• Asian students are exceptionally intelligent.
• Stereotypes

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Logical Fallacies

• If we can put humans on the moon, we should be
  able to find a cure for the common cold.
• False analogy (Both are scientific endeavors, but
  other than that they have little in common.)

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Logical Fallacies

• Evidence In a recent survey, 923 of 1,115
  students questioned say they would subscribe to
  wireless Internet access.
• Conclusion The majority of students on our
  campus would subscribe to wireless Internet
  access if it were available.
• Is the evidence sufficient?
• Is the evidence representative?
• Is the evidence relevant?

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Logical Fallacies

• Since Governor Cho took office, unemployment of
  minorities in the state has decreased by 7
  percent. Governor Cho should be applauded for
  reducing unemployment among minorities.
• False cause and affect assumption

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Logical Fallacies

• Our current war against drugs has not worked.
  Either we should legalize drugs or we should turn
  the drug war over to our armed forces and let
  them fight it.
• Either or fallacy

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Logical Fallacies

• Violent crime is increasing.
• Therefore, we should vigorously enforce the death
  penalty.
• Argument with a missing claim

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Logical Fallacies

• Mary loves good food therefore, she will be an
  excellent chef.
• Non sequitur (does not follow)

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Logical Fallacies

• The police do not give speeding tickets to people
  driving less than five miles per hour over the
  limit. Sam is driving fifty-nine miles per hour
  in a fifty-five-mile-per-hour zone. Therefore,
  the police will not give Sam a speeding ticket.
• Argument with a questionable premise

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• All members of our club ran in this years Boston
  Marathon. Jay ran in this years Boston Marathon.
  Therefore, Jay is a member of our club.
• Conclusion does not follow
• All members of our club ran in this years Boston
  Marathon. Jay is a member of our club. Therefore,
  Jay ran in this years Boston Marathon.

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Emotional appeals can be fair and unfair

• Is it anti-American to be against having a retail
  giant set up shop in ones community? Some people
  would say so. On the other hand, if you board up
  Main Street, whats left of America?

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Emotional appeals

• This progressive proposal to build a ski resort
  in the state park has been carefully researched
  by Western Trust, the largest bank in the state
  furthermore, it is favored by a majority of the
  local merchants. The only opposition comes from
  narrow-minded, do-gooder environmentalists who
  care more about trees than they do about people
  one of their leaders was actually arrested for
  disturbing the peace several years ago.

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How fairly does the writer deal with opposing
views?

• Does the writer fairly handle the opposition?
  Does he/she concede points when necessary and
  counter others in a civil spirit? Does he/she
  quote opposing views fairly and accurately and
  not take words out of context?

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Opposing Views

• Washington, DC, residents are lobbying for
  statehood. Giving a city such as the District of
  Columbia the status of a state would be unfair.
• Straw man fallacy

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Misleading Quotes

• ORIGINAL
• Johnsons History of the American West is riddled
  with inaccuracies and astonishing in its
  blatantly racist description of the Indian wars.
  (B. Smith, reviewer)
• QUOTE
• According to B. Smith, Johnsons History of the
  American West is astonishing in its description
  of the Indian wars.

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Even if you dont see logical fallacies

• Do you see any possible opposing ideas/views that
  the author has overlooked? Do you have any
  questions that the author doesnt answer?