philosophy

   

This activity is about creating valid or invalid arguments. For this discussion, you will need to create three original arguments. Since we are only concerned with the arguments structure, you do not need to develop an argument with true premises or critique someone else’s argument based on whether or not the premises are true.

• Come up with two different kinds of arguments of your own from the six kinds of arguments we’ve covered in class (e.g. modus ponens, modus tollens, the fallacy of affirming the consequent, the fallacy of denying the antecedent, disjunctive syllogism, and the fallacy of affirming a disjunct). Label each argument so students can see which kinds of arguments you’ve used.
• Then, create a third argument and do NOT label it. You will look over various arguments from other students and try to identify their structure yourself.

For your response post, identify the structure of a classmate’s unlabeled argument and explain, in your own words, why it’s valid or invalid. 

Grading

This discussion post will not involve the normal discussions rubric. Instead, students will be graded on 3 factors: whether they correctly shared and labeled two arguments using proper structures, whether they correctly shared a third argument, and how they explained the structure and potential validity of a peer’s argument. The original post is worth 18 points and the response post is worth 7 points.

Assignment 1 – Two Kinds of Possibility Name:

Typing your name is necessary to earn points on this assignment.

Instructions:

Write 2 paragraphs addressing the scenario and questions that appear below:

Image that a woman has died and she’s been dead for over a week. A zombie apocalypse is taking place and she comes back to life and goes on the prowl to eat flesh and brains. She attacks Michonne and Michonne cuts off her head with a sword. The zombie watches Michonne and tries to bite her and remains alive without its body.

Is it logically possible for zombies (humans who come back to life after they’ve died) to exist? Describe how we can determine if something is logically possible.

Is it physically possible for this zombie (humans who come back to life after they’ve died) to exist and survive her encounter with Michonne? Describe how we can determine if something is physically possible.

A Note on Writing Assignments in this Class:

The ultimate purpose of every writing submission is to clearly and correctly explain and apply philosophical material
in your own words
. When writing your responses, imagine that the reader is not in the class and is entirely unfamiliar with the material. If the only introduction to the topic she has was your paper, would it give her proper understanding of the issues?
It is imperative that your submissions are in your own words
, using sentences that you could use in conversation. Using someone else’s words, or making slight changes to words from the text or another source, do not prove that you understand this material, so
explaining things yourself
is vital. Submissions will be evaluated using plagiarism detection software.

Begin writing your answer in this document (but use double-spacing) and save the file in x format. When you are ready to turn in your work, press ‘Upload’ in the appropriate area for this assignment. Each assignment is worth 30 points. Your response should begin just below this paragraph.

Assignment 2 – College and Wages Name:

Typing your name is necessary to earn points on this assignment.

Instructions:

Write 2 paragraphs explaining typical effects of graduating from college and how this may affect our wages. For your first paragraph, consider questions that appear below in 1. For your second paragraph, examine the argument that appears below in 2. Answer the questions following 2.

The following problems are tied to an article in The Washington Post,

‘The Tuition is Too Damn High, Part 2: Why college is still worth it.’

1. Our level of education can drastically affect how much we earn for our whole lives. Whether we have a little school and no degrees or a college degree can make a big difference. Describe how each level of education can impact our wages as explained in the linked article. Discuss the differences in terms of dollars per year connected to a high school diploma, some college, a two-year-degree, and four-year-degree. Does completing an associate’s degree seem worth it to you? Why? What additional costs do students likely incur by staying in school and earning the degree?

2. Create a valid or invalid argument based on what you have read in the linked article using one of the common argument forms or fallacies discussed in this unit. Then answer the following questions:

· Is the argument that you presented a good argument? Why or why not? What things should we consider when evaluating this argument?

A Note on Writing Assignments in this Class:

The ultimate purpose of every writing submission is to clearly and correctly explain and apply philosophical material
in your own words
. When writing your responses, imagine that the reader is not in the class and is entirely unfamiliar with the material. If the only introduction to the topic she has was your paper, would it give her proper understanding of the issues?
It is imperative that your submissions are in your own words
, using sentences that you could use in conversation. Using someone else’s words, or making slight changes to words from the text or another source, do not prove that you understand this material, so
explaining things yourself
is vital. Submissions will be evaluated using plagiarism detection software.

Begin writing your answer in this document (but use double-spacing) and save the file in x format. When you are ready to turn in your work, press ‘Upload’ in the appropriate area for this assignment. Each assignment is worth 30 points. Your response should begin just below this paragraph.