Modes of reasoning Questions
Please answer the questions in the files named “modes of reasoning”. Answer question 6 using the attached arrow diagram file as a reference
MODR1770
1.Identify which of the following are claims that can be used in an argument and which are not claims. If the statement is a claim, say so. If the statement is not a claim you must identify why for the grade. (0.5 each for a total of 3 points)
a) Is marriage a sacred institution that deserves to be preserved by the state?
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b) This is so irritating!
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c) If the temperatre drops below zero, the pipes will burst.
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d) You are joking?!
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e) Look away.
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f) Drawing on past experience
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2. Identify which of the following are arguments and which are not and explain why (e.g. single claim, illustration, explanation, description, narrative etc…). Only identifications with appropriate explanation will receive a grade. (each answer is 0.5 for a total of 5 points)
a) The car broke because despite the mechanics warning Jim did not change the timing belt
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b) If we fail to act now, the polar caps will melt.
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c) The protest movement slowed down because of cold weather and increasing apathy.
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d) Although objectionable, racist materials should not be banned from schools.
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e) The social protest gathered momentum in the summer, slowing down by the early December.
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f) Unjust acts, such as the beating of Rodney King, can lead to civil unrest.
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g) Capital punishment is final and irreversible. Over the years, a substantial number of individuals have been wrongly convicted and executed. Still, it should not be abolished.
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h) Sally lost her keys again! She looked for them everywhere. Finally, she gave up and ordered a pizza.
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i) Harry should not be upset about what he did. He broke a promise, but breaking a promise is permissible if keeping them is inconvenient.
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j) Thirty-five thousand people will die each day from hunger. By the end of the year, thirteen to eighteen million people will die. Seventy five percent will be children.
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3. Identify which of the following sentences or terms are ambiguous, vague, euphemisms, hypostatization. If ambiguous, give both meaning and specify the kind (semantic /syntactic), If vague, explain which term and how the vagueness is a problem. If euphemisms, explain what it conceals. If hypostatization, explain which term and why it is a problem (0.5 each for 5 points in total)
a) “Meet me by the bank.”
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b) The opposition party in New Zealand has gained a lot of popular support, therefore the ruling party will certainly lose the election.
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c) “The professor said on Monday he would give an exam.”
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d) “The nation demands that every citizen rally behind the war effort.”
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e) “Zanzibar government is corrupt because bribery in the country is frequent.”
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f) “Did you see her dress?”
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g) “To bake popovers, heat the oven up.”
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h) “Visiting relatives can be boring.”
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i) “Unfortunately, the veterinarian had to put the sick dog had to sleep.”
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j) “Yogurt is fermented milk, and as such contains some alcohol. So, yogurt should not be given to children.”
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4. Identify the types of definitions used (e.g. lexical or reportive, stipulative, ostensive, denotative, analytic, operational, persuasive) (0.5 each for 5 points in total)
a) A lawyer means Johnnie Cochran, Mark Geragos, Alan Dershowitz, Leslie Abramson, Anne Bremner,
Robert Shapiro …
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b) Mouthpiece means a lawyer among prohibition era gangsters.
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c) An atomic bomb is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reaction.
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d) “A has the same weight as B” means that if A and B are placed on the opposite pans of a balance scale, neither pan will be lower than the other.
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e) For the purposes of this meeting, a lawyer means and person who represents the interests of a client in legal matters and has fiduciary duties to that client.
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f) What is a student? John over there is a student
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g) A lawyer is a person who guides and assists people in matters relating to the law.
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h) A lawyer is a shyster who benefits from the misfortune of others
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i) A funny joke is a joke that if it is expressed, people laugh
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j) I will call WebZine any narrative published online
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5. In the following essential definitions, identify (highlight in bold) genus and (underline) differentia. Evaluate the definitions for the adequacy of scope, explaining whether it is adequate, too broad, too narrow or both. For a grade, you must provide justification for your answer and illustrate it with examples. Answer that simply state “too narrow” or “too broad” will not be given a grade. (2 points each for 10 points in total)
a) “Terrorism means systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal.”
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b) “A mammal is a wingless biological organism living on land.”
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c) “Pornography is printed or visual material containing explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity.”
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d) “Studying means devoting of time and attention to acquiring knowledge on an academic subject by means of books.”
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e) “Umbrella is a device consisting of a circular canopy of cloth on a folding metal frame and used as protection from the rain.”
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6. Represent the following arguments using the arrow diagrams. Number all the claims in the passage (insert the numbers in front of each claim, use parenthesis to separate claims). Set the indicator words in bold (if present). Underline or cross out the superfluous material that plays no part in the argument. For each argument, draw an arrow diagram representing the structure of the argument. (if you cannot draw directly into the text, please draw on a blank page, scan or photograph it, and insert into the test document). Use proper notation. (3 each for a total of 12 points).
a) Some people argue that we do not have an obligation to prevent suffering to animals because they are not rational. But there is a problem. If rationality is the basis for moral treatment, then we should have no problem inflicting pain and suffering on people with severe mental disability who are less rational than some animals. But we do feel there is a problem doing it. So rationality cannot be the basis for moral treatment. If rationality cannot be the basis for moral treatment, then it must be the suffering that constitutes this basis. So, we must not inflict suffering on another creature no matter how rational they are. (3 points)
b) The minority stockholders will sue us. Either we pay our workers a decent wage or we pay our stockholders a decent dividend. We can’t pay our stockholders a decent dividend because then workers would strike. That means we have to pay workers a decent wage. But if we pay workers a decent wage, minority stockholders will sue us. Hence, minority stockholder will sue us. (3 points)
c) The government has to legalize marihuana. First, the individuals have a right to engage in any activity as long as they do not risk harm to others. Marihuana risks harm to no one but the user. Second, no one has conclusively established that marihuana is harmful. Finally, legalizing marihuana will make money for the government through taxes. And we should legalize whatever means will increase the public funds. Should we not legalize it? (3 points)
d) Studying history is useless. First, people tend to interpret historical events in light of their own biases and wishful thinking. Second, even if people could interpret history objectively, they fail to draw proper lessons. Since universities should not waste resources on useless subjects, they should replace history courses with cooking classes. (3 points)
ArgumentDiagram Answers
1.
1[ In all wars there is the chance innocent people will be killed ], and 2[ we should never
kill innocent people, even for a good cause. ] So, 3 [we should not participate in this war.]
1 + 2
3
2.
1[ Some people justify deception as simply a part of good business practice. ] However, 2
[good business practice is built upon trust.] 3[And trust is undermined by deception. ] So,4
[ good business practice should not be built upon deception. ]
2 + 3
4
3.
1 [ Whenever we find evidence of this kind of erosion, we know that it has taken many
millions of years for the rock formation to develop. ] Therefore, 2 [we know this rock
formation developed over many millions of years.]
1
2
4.
1 [An ethics committee should be impartial. ] 2 [ If it is appointed by and answers solely to
those it is monitoring, it cannot be impartial. ] So 3 [ an ethics committee must be
appointed by and answer to an independent source. ]
2 + 1
3
5.
1 [ Deregulation of electrical power in California brought tremendous increases in the cost
of electricity; ] 2 [ in some cases, increases of three thousand percent were common. ] 3 [
The proposal to deregulate electrical power in Ontario is likely to produce even worse
consequences, ] for 4 [ Canada is surrounded by American states that have higher energy
costs, ] and 5 [those states will rapidly drive up the cost of electricity within Ontario. ]
1 + 4 + 5
3
6.
Never buy a car more than five years old. The repair costs are too high.
2
1
7.
1 [We should all work to control global warming. ] 2 [ If we don’t, the world will be
uninhabitable by humans within fifty years. ] My opponents contend that 3 [ this would be
costly. ] Yet recent studies by the European Union estimate that 4 [it would take less than
one percent of Gross National Product to implement such reforms. ] 5 [ Such an investment
would not be costly considering the alternative.]
4
5
2 3
1
8.
1 [We shouldn’t ban books in the schools. ] 2 [ It undermines free thought ] and 3 [it limits
what we can teach. ] 4 [To those who object, arguing that this would allow racist and other
unacceptable books in the schools, ] I reply that 5 [such works, if taught to expose racism
and sexism, can have a positive role in the curriculum. ]
5
2 + 3 4
1
9.
1 [We should legalize marijuana. ] 2 [ It would have many benefits.] 3 [ It would give
chemotherapy patients access to a drug that would help alleviate their symptoms. ] 4 [ It
would allow police time to chase more “deserving” criminals. ] 5 [ It would give people a
recreational drug that is far safer than tobacco or alcohol. ] To those who assert that 6 [it
would justify impaired driving, ] I reply that 7 [ this is not the case. ] 8 [ Alcohol being legal
does not mean that a person can legally drive under the influence. ] 9 [ If a person is going
to smoke up and drive, then that person is under the influence and should be charged. ] 10
[ Legalizing marijuana does not inherently mean that we justify its abuse. ]
8 + 9
3 4 5 7
2 6
1
10.
1 [ Definitions cannot, by their very nature, be either “true” or “false,” only more or less
useful. ] For this reason, 2 [it makes relatively little sense to argue over definitions. ]
1
2
11.
1 [ She won’t get the promotion. ] 2 [ She has antagonized virtually everyone on the
committee. ]
2
1