Dressing an Argument

Week 4 - Due Sunday, February 28th at 11:59 PM
Writing Workshop II
Updates from Week 3
Task 1: Examples 
Directions: Find two to three relevant examples to support each of the following generalizations. You may have to do a little research to find good examples in some cases. Please respond in complete sentences. 
1. All birds can fly. Eagles can fly. Crows can fly. Hummingbirds can fly. 
2. Developed, democratic countries no longer practice capital punishment. The Philippines has abolished the death penalty.United Kingdom has abolished death penalty. France has removed death penalty. 
Task 2: CounterexamplesDirections: Find a counterexample to each of the generalizations below. Please respond in complete sentences. 
1. Salads are made of vegetables. Caesar salad uses egg as an ingredient. Chicken cucumber avocado salad has chicken.Dessert salads are not usualy made from vegetables. 
2. All birds can fly. Dodos cannot fly. Turkeys are all land animals.Penguins can swim, but cannot fly. 
Task 3: Evaluating Arguments for Generalizations
Directions: Evaluate how well each of the following arguments follows rules 7-11. Be sure to refer to each rule explicitly in your response. 
1. “Themistocles was a virtuous man, and though he taught his son many things, he could not teach his son to be virtuous. Likewise, Aristides was a virtuous man, but his son was not, even though Aristides had his son trained in many things. Pericles, too, was a virtuous man whose son was not virtuous. Thucydides, another virtuous man, had two sons, to whom he gave a good education, but he did not succeed in making them virtuous. So, we can see that even a good man cannot teach his children to be virtuous.” –adapted from Plato, MenoThe argument is well-crafted. It utilizes a reliable premise, is concrete and concise, and utilizes consistent terms such as ‘virtuous’ and ‘education’.
2. “599 undergraduate students at NYU were asked how much money they had borrowed in student loans during the previous academic year. When we compared those results to the university’s financial aid records, we found that only 228 of the students had answered within $1,000 of the actual amount they had borrowed. Therefore, most American college students do not know how much money they are borrowing to pay for college.” –adapted from E. Akers and M. Chingos, “Are College Students Borrowing Blindly?” Brookings InstitutionThe argument is very well crafted. It is concrete and concise, utilizes reliable premises (i.e., survey results), no use of overtones, and uses consistent terms like “student loans” and “money”.
Task 4: Creating your own argument by example
Directions: Compose a dressed argument by example about the topic you are considering for your research paper. 
Unplanned teenage pregnancy rates are higher with less education. This is exemplified in the lower income areas in the United States where educational attainment is not that high. 
Task 5: Similarities
Directions: For each of the following pairs of things, come up with one to three important ways in which the things are similar. Be sure to use complete sentences. 
1. Being a student and having a job. 
Both a student and an employee need to comply with deadlines. Students and employees have assigned tasks. Both students and employees have to at their workplace/school for the duration of their assignment. 
2. Cooking a meal and living a life.Cooking a meal and living a life are both relaxing. Cooking and meal and living a life requires a limited period of time. Both cooking and living a life has boundaries. 
Task 6: Differences2 points each 
Directions: For each of the following pairs of things, identify one to three important ways in which the things differ. Be sure to use complete sentences. 
1. Being a student and having a job. 
Being a student requires you to work without pay, while an employee is compensated. 
2. Cooking a meal and living a life.
Cooking a meal is less relaxing, while living a life focuses on relaxation. 
Task 7: Evaluating Arguments by Analogy3 points each 
Directions: Consider the following arguments by analogy. For each argument, indicate the total number of things (instances) being compared, the relevant similarities mentioned or implied, the conclusion, and whether the argument is strong or weak. Be sure to respond in complete sentences. 
1. “We all know that people should not drive while they are drunk. Texting while driving is like driving while drunk in that both make people react more slowly to road hazards. Therefore, people should not text while driving.” –adapted from Nicole Arce, “Texting is more dangerous than drugs, alcohol while driving: Study,” Tech Times, June 9, 2014There are two things that are being compared here, namely (1) texting while driving and (2) driving while texting. The argument is strong since both shows the incapacity of the driver to focus well. 
2. “The First Amendment does not protect the right to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater when there is no fire. During a war, distributing pamphlets that encourage people to resist a military draft is like shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater in that both present a danger to the public. Therefore, the First Amendment does not protect the right to distribute anti-draft pamphlets.” –adapted from Schenck v. United States, 1919There are two things being compared here, namely; (1) shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater and (2) distributing pamphlets to resist a military draft. The argument is strong. 
Task 8: Constructing your own analogy8 points
Directions: Consider the topic(s) you’d like to write about for your research paper. Compose a dressed argument by analogy to support your conclusion. 
Lack of educational attainment is like being a child alone in a toy store. You’ll have trouble preventing your wants and will be more susceptible to impulsiveness.
Key terms and concepts review
Statement or claim: an assertion that something is or is not the case. 
Argument: an attempt to persuade someone.
Premises: statements (reasons) given in support of a conclusion
Conclusion: what an argument is trying to prove
Inference: the process of...