IAP 101- symbolic and critical reasoning

Review Day!

The Critical Questions!

1. What are the issue and the conclusion? 2. What are the reasons? 3. Which words or phrases are ambiguous? 4. What are the value conflicts and assumptions? 5. What are the descriptive assumptions? 6. Are there any fallacies in the reasoning? 7. How good is the evidence?

For a better college learning environment, all classes should begin in the afternoon. Most students try to schedule afternoon or evening classes anyway; you rarely hear of a student who is upset at being closed out of the 8 a.m. section of a class. Also, experts say that students who are alert learn more and learn more quickly. Changing the starting time for classes at universities to the afternoon will help students. Is it perscriptive or descriptive?

1. What are the Issue and the Conclusion?

For a better college learning environment, all classes should begin in the afternoon. Most students try to schedule afternoon or evening classes anyway; you rarely hear of a student who is upset at being closed out of the 8 a.m. section of a class. Also, experts say that students who are alert learn more and learn more quickly. Changing the starting time for classes at universities to the afterncrpoon will help students. Perscriptive

1. What are the Issue and the Conclusion?

1. What are the Issue and the Conclusion?

People suffering from mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as people with no mental illness, according to a new study by Harvard Medical School researchers. The researchers found that people with diagnosable mental illness comprise nearly 45 percent of the total U.S. tobacco market. The study suggests that people with mental illness often use the nicotine from cigarettes to enhance their mood, relieve anxiety, and cope with stress. Is it perscriptive or descriptive?

1. What are the Issue and the Conclusion?

People suffering from mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as people with no mental illness, according to a new study by Harvard Medical School researchers. The researchers found that people with diagnosable mental illness comprise nearly 45 percent of the total U.S. tobacco market. The study suggests that people with mental illness often use the nicotine from cigarettes to enhance their mood, relieve anxiety, and cope with stress. Descriptive

2. What are the Reasons?

Depressed? Take an antidepressant. That's a solution offered to way too many of our children and adolescents, and for some, it's a killer recommendation. Recent studies suggest that there are at least 3 million children suffering from depression in the United States. Despite concerns that have been raised, doctors have been prescribing alarming numbers of antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. And some of these kids are responding to the drugs with the urge to kill. Kip Kinkel was taking Prozac when he killed his parents and killed two other students at a high school in Oregon. Eric Harris was under the influence of Luvox, an antidepressant medication, when he shot students at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado. Other researchers have found a high incidence of the use of anti-depressants in the histories of murder/suicides involving women and their children. It's time for physicians to be much more cautious in their willingness to prescribe antidepressant medicines..

2. What are the Reasons?

Depressed? Take an antidepressant. That's a solution offered to way too many of our children and adolescents, and for some, it's a killer recommendation. Recent studies suggest that there are at least 3 million children suffering from depression in the United States. Despite concerns that have been raised, doctors have been prescribing alarming numbers of antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. And some of these kids are responding to the drugs with the urge to kill. Kip Kinkel was taking Prozac when he killed his parents and killed two other students at a high school in Oregon. Eric Harris was under the influence of Luvox, an antidepressant medication, when he shot students at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado. Other researchers have found a high incidence of the use of anti-depressants in the histories of murder/suicides involving women and their children. It's time for physicians to be much more cautious in their willingness to prescribe antidepressant medicines..

3. What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous?

Walter: How do you know that paranoid schizophrenics are capable of behaving at extremely high levels of creativity when they have the disorder? Jim: I saw it happen in the movie, A Beautiful Mind. The main character won a Nobel Prize even though he was a paranoid schizophrenic. It's a great movie, and I heard that it was based on a true story..

3. What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous?

Walter: How do you know that paranoid schizophrenics are capable of behaving at extremely high levels of creativity when they have the disorder? Jim: I saw it happen in the movie, A Beautiful Mind. The main character won a Nobel Prize even though he was a paranoid schizophrenic. It's a great movie, and I heard that it was based on a true story..

3. What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous?

We should let our aunt die with dignity. We should give the doctor permission to shut off the feeding tube so that she can die in peace. We should let our aunt die with dignity. We should give the doctor permission to shut off the feeding tube so that she can die in peace.

4. What Are the Value Conflicts and Assumptions?

Autonomy Collective responsibility Community Competition Cooperation Creativity Equal Opportunity Freedom of speech Generosity Honesty Individuality Justice Material Prosperity Order Peace security

5. What Are the Descriptive Assumptions?

Depressed? Take an antidepressant. That's a solution offered to way too many of our children and adolescents, and for some, it's a killer recommendation. Recent studies suggest that there are at least 3 million children suffering from depression in the United States. Despite concerns that have been raised, doctors have been prescribing alarming numbers of antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. And some of these kids are responding to the drugs with the urge to kill. Kip Kinkel was taking Prozac when he killed his parents and killed two other students at a high school in Oregon. Eric Harris was under the influence of Luvox, an antidepressant medication, when he shot students at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado. Other researchers have found a high incidence of the use of anti-depressants in the histories of murder/suicides involving women and their children. It's time for physicians to be much more cautious in their willingness to prescribe antidepressant medicines..

5. What Are the Descriptive Assumptions?

1. Antidepressants are being over prescribed. - For this to be true we must assume that the people on medication would be better without it. It's possible that the medication is contributing to fewer killings. 2. Antidepresvants may lead to acts of violence. - For this to be true we must assume that depression was not the factor in the killings.

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

1. Ad Hominem 2. slippery slope 3. Equivocation 4. Appeal to Popularity 5. straw man 6. Appeal to Emotion 7. Either-Or (False Dilemma)

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

The new PowerTangerine computer gives you the power you need. If you buy one, people will envy your power. They will look up to you and wish they were just like you. You will know the true joy of power. TangerinePower. Appeal to Emotion

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

Senator Jill: "We'll have to cut education funding this year." Senator Bill: "Why?" Senator Jill: "Well, either we cut the social programs or we live with a huge deficit and we can't live with the deficit." Either-Or (False Dilemma)

Bill: "I believe that abortion is morally wrong."

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

Dave: "Of course you would say that, you're a priest." Bill: "What about the arguments I gave to support my position?" Dave: "Those don't count. Like I said, you're a priest, so you have to say that abortion is wrong. Further, you are just a lackey to the Pope, so I can't believe what you say." Ad Hominem

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

"We have to stop the tuition increase! The next thing you know, they'll be charging $40,000 a semester!" slippery slope

Jill and Jane have some concerns that the rules their sorority has set are racist in character. Since Jill is a decent person, she brings her concerns up in the next meeting. The president of the sorority assures her that there is nothing wrong with the rules, since the majority of the sisters like them. Jane accepts this ruling but Jill decides to leave the sorority. Appeal to Popularity

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?

Hot dogs are better than nothing Nothing is better than steak. Therefore, hot dogs are better than steak. Equivocation

6. Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning? budget Prof. Jones: "The university just cut our yearly
by $10,000." Prof. Smith: "What are we going to do?" Prof. Brown: "I think we should eliminate one of the teaching assistant positions. That would take care of it." Prof. Jones: "We could reduce our scheduled raises instead." Prof. Brown: " I can't understand why you want to bleed us dry like that, Jones." Straw man

7. How Good is the Evidence?

Intuition - Intuition Personal Experience - Empiricism Personal Testimonials - Authority Appeals to Authority Authority Personal Observation Empiricism OR Authority Research studies - ??? Case Examples - ??? Analogies