Class notes - September 27, 2007

  1. Analysis of arguments
    1. Papers, while better, still have a number of holes.
  2. Real life examples of fallacies in argumentation. http://www.dnronline.com/search_letterdetails.php?LID=5131&key=&title=&date1=2007-09-24&date2=2007-09-27
  4. What is the process
    1. Identify the conclusion.  That is the major thesis about which the author is writing.
    2. Make sure that you also understand the issue that they are addressing.  That provides a context.
    3. Who is the author?  If it is pertinent to the argument, it can provide clues to why they are arguing the way that they are.
      1. What is their background.  Are they an expert about that which they are writing.
      2. What is their bias?  We all bring something of ourselves in any argument in which we engage.
      1. What was their intent in writing the article.  Based on their background and biases, do we get clues?
    4. What are the specific reasons (arguments) that they are including to support their thesis?  If there is no support, we must accept it as their opinion only and reject their opinion's ability to sway us.
    5. What methods of argumentation are they using?  In other words, do they appeal to our emotion or do they provide us "facts"?
    6. Identify any assumptions that are present in their arguments.  Assumptions are anything that the author is assuming that helps to advance the argument or as your authors state, link the reasons together.  An assumption may also be the underlying values conflict or assumption of values that underly the argument.  Important assumptions are those on which the argument rests.
    7. Does the author employ flawed logic?  What is the flaw and how did they attempt to use it?
    8. Does the author employ vague language or unclear phrases?  Are there ambiguous terms that the author makes an assumption about?
    9. New - Looking at the evidence itself, 
      1. are there factually inaccurate statements?
      2. Are there instances of deceptive data?
      3. Is there irrelevent evidence?
      4. Is there evidence that has been omitted?
  5. After reviewing the article, how likely are you to be swayed by the argument?  Does the author make a good case, or is their presentation so flawed that we must throw it out.  Or is there a gray area?  In other words, perhaps some of the evidence is sound, while some is not.