Need help with Final Argument

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TITLE OF PAPER 3

Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Discussion

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

The central tool of logic is the argument. Accordingly, constructing good arguments is the central element of this course. Each writing assignment in this course will give you an opportunity to construct and improve upon an argument that you will develop as the course progresses. This discussion post allows you to begin the process of developing your argument by presenting good reasoning on both sides of an issue.

The requirement for this discussion is a minimum of four posts on four separate days, including at least two substantive responses to peers. The total combined word count for all of your posts for this discussion, counted together, should be at least 400 words. Answer all the questions in the prompt, and read any resources that are required to complete the discussion properly. In order to satisfy the posting requirements for the week, complete your initial post by Day 3 (Thursday) and your other posts by Day 7 (Monday). We recommend that you get into the discussion early and spread out your posts over the course of the week. Reply to your classmates and instructor. Attempt to take the conversation further by responding substantively to the replies that others make to you as well. Keep the discussion on target, and analyze things in as much detail as you can.

Prepare Icon Prepare: To prepare for this discussion, make sure to read the assigned chapters of the primary text and to review the required resources, including the videos about arguments (in the “Lectures” link on the left). Before responding to the prompt, make sure as well to participate in the interactive scenario at the top of this page titled The Raise to gain more appreciation of the importance of constructing good arguments in life.

Reflect Icon Reflect: Choose a topic from the PHI103 Final Paper Options list. It should be a topic that you find interesting, but also for which you will be able defend a position with careful logical reasoning. Construct the strongest argument that you can on each side of the issue. Strengthen your arguments by contemplating possible objections to each argument, and revise your arguments in light of the objections. Continue this process until you feel that your arguments for each side are as convincing as you can possibly make them.

Write Icon Write: Present your two arguments (one on each side of the issue) in standard form (with each premise and conclusion on a separate line) on the topic you selected from the PHI103 Final Paper Options list. The two arguments should defend different positions on the topic. For example, if your topic was the existence of Santa Claus, then you would present one argument

Is it important to teach the arts and humanities to children?

ARGUMENT 1

Premise 1: Teaching arts and humanities to children help them to become critical thinkers and wake up the creative side of their brains. These skills also help our children understand different cultures outside of their own. The skills that are taught in arts and humanities can be poetry, paintings, philosophy, and religion. It is also, said that the ancient Greeks taught art and humanities to educate their citizens.

Conclusion: Teaching arts and humanities to our youth is necessary for their personal growth.

The strength of Premise 1 is that studies can prove the conclusion. This would be a deductive argument, because, if one can accept the premise as valid or provable, then we must accept the conclusion is true.

The weakness of Premise 1 has a possibility to be interrupted differently from different people, according to your personal experience with arts and humanities. However, both premises could be supported and statistically backed up with evidence.

Premise 2: Focusing on studies of arts and humanities takes the children’s focus off of the development of the core subjects in school. For instance, while a child is learning a different language or music they can be in a math class that will teach them basic skills they will need in life. Thinking outside of the box or creatively can hinder a child’s learning experience and end up rejecting school altogether.

Conclusion: Teaching arts and humanities to the young children can overwhelm them.

The strength of premise 2 is that the premises infer negative reasons for teaching arts and humanities. Consequently, the conclusion one can agree on is teaching arts and humanities can hurt a child’s emotional state if they are not creative.

The weakness of premise 2 is that the premise has room for different understandings. This would be an inductive argument, because, the premise has a good likelihood of not being true.

Think about how the two arguments compare to each other. Is one better than the other?

If so, what makes that one better? In my opinion premise one is better because it is a more believable argument and can be proven more easily to be true.

Is each a fair presentation of what someone taking that position would say? Yes

Are the premises reasonable? Yes,

How might each argument be made better? I can provide some research behind my arguments and add them to my premise to make my arguments more convincing.

Resource

Hardy, J., Foster, C., & Zúñiga y Postigo, G. (2015). With good reason: A guide to critical thinking [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Discuss Icon Guided Response: Read the arguments presented by your classmates, and analyze the reasoning that they have presented. Whether you agree with their position or not, see if you can help them to improve their arguments. In particular, point out any respect in which a reasonable person might disagree with the truth of their premises or with the strength of their reasoning. Consider addressing the following questions: Did your classmate present a convincing argument? Why, or why not? Which part of the argument might someone dispute (e.g., premise, conclusion, structure, etc.)? How might the argument be strengthened? Make sure that your posts for the week include at le ast two substantive responses to classmates.

Hello Christopher,

You did a great job on your post. However, I was not convinced by the argument. I think for premise one “Premise 1: Social media connects people, then it enhances interpersonal relationships.” You can elaborate further to say that Social media helps connect people from around the world stay connected to their family and friends. For premise two you can add to it something about social media hinders face to face interaction, interpersonal communication, and speaking skills are diminishing because of the internet.

Barb

Hello Melissa,

I agree with your premise one that all funding for universal healthcare will come from the tax payer’s pockets, however, right now it comes out of tax payer’s pockets to pay for people to are on State aid and on top of that we still have to pay for our own premiums. Actually, spreading the risk over a bigger pool of people will lower the health insurance premiums. If you look at Frances Universal health care, the Government helps the citizens by paying so much money into the fund so the premiums can be lower.

Barb

Hello Mia,

In your first premise, you say “It is morally wrong to cause harm to another individual” however someone’s else’s morale’s may not be the same as your own. Some people may come from a different country or culture that tells them that torture is ok and in some parts of the world acceptable. For your second premise, I ask what actions are torture acceptable and by who. Just some thoughts to help you on your argument.

Barb