Logic & Critical Herman J. SuhendraProduced by Herman J. Suhendra A.B. Gadjah Mada University & M.A. University of Santo Tomas, Manila MEETING 4 Argument Part 1

Critical & Creative Herman J. SuhendraProduced by Herman J. Suhendra A.B. Gadjah Mada University & M.A. University of Santo Tomas, Manila

Is All-Star Wrestling real? Do you watch Wrestling? Do you like Wrestling? Why do you like Wrestling?

Do You Agree? Why? The National Education Blueprint is aimed at bringing about a major change in the education system. Below we compare the characteristics of a student today and what the blueprint promises in The Student in 2007The Student in 2010 Lacks confidence Self-confident Lacks communication skills Able to communicate well Lacks leadership skills Has leadership skills May not be able to speak proper English Able to speak good English Too dependent on tuition Won’t be dependent on tuition Does not mix freely with students of other races Mixes freely with students of other races Studies in a very exam-oriented environment Studies in an environment that is not too exam-oriented Not IT-savvy Is IT-savvy Not creative and innovative Is creative and innovative May not take part in co-curricular activities Takes part in more co-curricular activities May not know how to read, write and count Has no problems with reading, writing or counting Is not very marketable More marketable You must unlearn what you have learned.

Arguments - Part 1 (of 3) 1. Distinguishing Fact & Opinion 7. Evaluating Arguments 2. What is an Argument? 5. Deduction & Induction 6. Analyzing Arguments 8. Writing Arguments 3. Identifying Premises & Conclusions 4. What Is Not an Argument?

1. Distinguishing Fact & Opinion Vince Carter is a Basketball Player. He plays in the NBA and represented USA in the Sydney Olympic Games He is currently the best player in the NBA.Vince Carter is a Basketball Player. He plays in the NBA and represented USA in the Sydney Olympic Games He is currently the best player in the NBA. Facts and Opinions, please identify.

1. Distinguishing Fact & Opinion Fact = Can be proved or disproved Opinion = Personal Belief Soegija starts at 9.00 pm. It’s a great movie “Soegija starts at 9.00 pm. It’s a great movie!”

1. Distinguishing Facts & Opinion Tell who, what, when, where, or how much. Have a verifiable truth value. Can be quantified and is specific. Are supported by evidence. "A fact is a thing that is occurred, to exist, or to be true."

FactsOpinion Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia UMN is a university in Indonesia Yao Ming is more than 7 feet tall Jakarta is the best city in the world. I loves studying at UMN Yao Ming is a very good-looking.

Opinion Tend to be vague. Are personal beliefs or value judgments. An opinion is a view about a particular issue. It is what the person believes or thinks, and is not necessarily the truth. ______________________________________ Some Opinion Clues Judging: Good, Better, Best, Bad, Worse, Worst, Should, Must Predicting: Will Shall An opinion is a view about a particular issue. It is what the person believes or thinks, and is not necessarily the truth. ______________________________________ Some Opinion Clues Judging: Good, Better, Best, Bad, Worse, Worst, Should, Must Predicting: Will Shall

Exercise I: Exercise I: iPhone “Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything… It's the ultimate digital device. It's like having your life in your pocket.“ “The iPhone will be ultra-slim - less than half-an-inch (1.3cm) thick - boasting a phone, Internet capability and an MP3 player as well as featuring a two megapixel digital camera” Facts and Opinions, please identify. I am Steve Jobs, so you can trust me.

Exercise I: Exercise I: iPhone “This is a leapfrog product with a revolutionary new interface with software five years ahead of any other phone and desktop class applications, not those crippled applications you find on those other phones” "Most advanced phones are called smart phone. But they are actually not so smart, and really not so easy to use. When you get a chance to get your hands on it, I think you'll agree, we've reinvented the phone.” Facts and Opinions, please identify. I am Steve Jobs, so you can trust me.

Exercise II: Read the Article “Making of the Creative Student” Facts and Opinions, please identify.

2. What is Argument? Argument - A form of thinking in which certain statements (reasons) are offered in support of another statement (a conclusion). Premises (Reasons) - Statements that support another statement (known as a conclusion), justify it, or make it more probable. Conclusion - A statement that explains, asserts, or predicts on the basis of statements (known as reasons) that are offered as evidence for it. A Claim Defended with Reasons.

2. Example – A Simple Argument 1.Lawyers earn a lot of money. (Premise) 2.I want to earn a lot of money. (Premise) 3.I should become a Lawyer. (Conclusion)

3. Identifying Premises & Conclusions Look for premise indicators that provide clues when premises are being offered. Examples: because, since, for, given that, as, judging from, and seeing that. Look for conclusion indicators that provide clues when conclusions are being offered. Examples: therefore, thus, hence, so, as a result, accordingly, consequently, and which shows that. Tips

PremiseConclusion Since Because For as indicated by in that may be inferred from as given that seeing that for the reason that in as much as Therefore Thus Consequently we may infer Accordingly we may conclude it must be that So Hence it follows that implies that as a result

3. Identifying Premises & Conclusions If the passage contains no indicator words, try these two strategies:  Ask yourself, "What claim is the writer or speaker trying to prove?" That claim will be the conclusion.  Try putting the word "therefore" before each of the statements in turn. The statement it fits best will be the conclusion. Tips

Exercise 1 Corporate raiders leave their target corporation with a heavy debt burden and no increase in productive capacity. Consequently, corporate raiders are bad for the business community. Identify the premise(s) and conclusion of this argument.

Exercise 2 Expectant mothers should never use recreational drugs, since the use of these drugs can jeopardize the development of the fetus. Identify the premise(s) and conclusion of this argument.

Exercise 3 The development of high-temperature superconducting materials is technologically justified, for such materials will allow electricity to be transmitted without loss over great distances, and they will pave the way for trains that levitate magnetically. Identify the premise(s) and conclusion of this argument.

Exercise 4 The space program deserves increased expenditures in the years ahead. Not only does the national defense depend upon it, but the program will more than pay for itself in terms of technological spinoffs. Furthermore, at current funding levels the program cannot fulfill its anticipated potential. Identify the premise(s) and conclusion of this argument.

Exercise 5 Socialized medicine is not recommended because it would result in a reduction in the overall quality of medical care available to the average citizen. In addition, it might very well bankrupt the federal treasury. This is the whole case against socialized medicine in a nutshell.. Identify the premise(s) and conclusion of this argument.

Exercise 6 Research universities also must aggressively support teaching. After all, a significant percentage of their students are undergraduates, and such institutions are clearly obligated to provide them a quality education. Ernest L. Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered, 1990) Identify the premise(s) and conclusion of this argument.

4. What is Not Argument? More precisely, a passage is an argument if and only if: It is a group of two or more statements. One of those statements (the conclusion) is claimed or intended to be supported by the other(s) (the premises). An argument is a claim defended with reasons.

4. What Is Not an Argument? Notice three important things that follow from this definition: Arguments consist entirely of statements (sentences that it makes sense to regard as either true or false). Questions, commands, and other kinds of non-statements cannot be parts of arguments (Keep in mind, however, that rhetorical questions should be treated as statements.).  No single statement is an argument. Arguments always consist of at least two statements.  Nothing counts as an argument unless it is claimed or intended that one statement follows from one or more other statements in the passage. In other words, a passage is an argument only if the speaker or writer intends to offer evidence or reasons why another statement should be accepted as true.

4. What Is Not an Argument? Five kinds of passages that are sometimes confused with arguments are: Reports A statement or group of statements intended simply to convey information about a subject. Unsupported statements of belief or opinions Is a statement or set of statements in which the speaker or writer expresses his or her personal opinion, but offers no reasons or evidence to back up that opinion. Illustrations Is a passage intended to provide examples that illustrate or support a claim, not to provide convincing evidence that the claim is true. Conditional Statements Is an if-then statement. It is an assertion that such-and-such is true if something else is true. Explanations Is a statement or set of statements that seeks to provide an account of why something has occurred or why something is the case.

Example: Report Planet Earth was much drier in the Triassic than it is now, and there were large deserts in inland areas. There were no flowering plants or grasses--they evolved much later. The most common trees were conifers, similar to today's pines. Other large plants included yews, ginkgos, and the palmlike cycads. Moisture-loving ferns and horsetails thrived by lakes and rivers. (Philip Whitfield, Simon & Schuster's Children's Guide to Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, 1992)

Example: Unsupported statements of belief or opinion For the person who called and said Larry Bird was better than Michael Jordan, wake up. No one was ever better than Michael Jordan, not even Kareem in his glory and not even Dr. J. (From a newspaper call-in column)

Example: Illustration Almost all groups agree in holding other groups to be inferior to themselves. The American Indians looked upon themselves as the chosen people, specially created by the Great Spirit as an uplifting example for mankind. One Indian tribe called itself "The Only Men"; another called itself "Men of Men"; the Caribs said, "We alone are people." (Will Durant, Our Oriental Heritage, 1935)

Example: Conditional Statement If Aida comes to the wedding then I will come to the wedding.

Example: Explanation I speak good English because my parents encouraged me to practice it everyday.

Exercise 1-3 Maria was angry with him because he had crashed her car. Identify argument or non- argument. Napoleon died because he was poisoned with arsenic. Our street lights are too dim. That’s why we have more accidents and more crime that we should.

Exercise 4-6 Patrick had a toothache because he had a nail in his head. Identify argument or non- argument. Patrick should have carried medical insurance because now he can’t pay his medical bills. Cows can digest grass, while humans cannot, because their digestive systems contain enzymes not found in humans.

Exercise 7-8 I’ll never get to work if this traffic keeps up My ex-partner was always telling me to change my appearance, so Ichanged my partner. Identify argument or non- argument.

Exercise 9-10 The biscuit tin is empty because the children ate all the biscuits. If we hit our children, they will learn that violence is acceptable, so we shouldn't physically discipline our children. Identify argument or non- argument.

Group Activity Break into groups of 4 - 6, read the article provided (Title: “Making of the Creative Student”, NST, 18/ ) and then reflect, discuss and answer the following questions: Yes? – Which of the “The Student in 2007” characteristics do you have (your perception)? Why? – Please discuss “Why do you think that you lack this/these characteristic(s)?” How? – How can the education system (or student) encourage/facilitate “The Student in 2010” characteristics? 20 minGroup discussion 5 minSummarize discussion findings 15 minGroup presentation & discussion The Group leader must submit their findings in hard or soft-copy format to the lecturer and send to his before or during the next class.

Summary 1. Distinguishing Fact & Opinion Fact = Can be proved or disproved Opinion = Personal Belief 2. What is an Argument? An argument is a claim defended with reasons. 3. Identifying Premises & Conclusions Look for premise indicators that provide clues when premises are being offered (e.g. because, since, for). Look for conclusion indicators that provide clues when conclusions are being offered (e.g. therefore, thus, hence, so). If the passage contains no indicator words, try these two strategies: 1) Ask yourself, "What claim is the writer or speaker trying to prove?" That claim will be the conclusion. 2)Try putting the word "therefore" before each of the statements in turn. The statement it fits best will be the conclusion. 4. What Is Not an Argument? Five kinds of passages that are sometimes confused with arguments are: Reports, Unsupported statements of belief or opinions, Illustrations, Conditional Statements, and Explanations

Any Questions?

The End – Thank You!