RECONSTRUCTING ARGUMENTS

Phil. 200: Critical Reasoning

Prof. Hale/Fall 2014

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT #4: RECONSTRUCTING ARGUMENTS

General Instructions: Reconstruct the arguments in the passages below, following the argument reconstruction rules on pg. 65 of your textbook. You may work in groups on this assignment, and you may turn in group work. Each problem is worth 3 points, so the highest possible score is 33/30. Due: at the start of class on Tuesday, September 23, 2013

Required Problems:

1. [There is] … no need for setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, since … all days are God’s. [Ohiyesa, of the Santee Dakota, 1911, quoted in T. C. McLuhan, Touch the Earth: A Self-Portrait of Indian Existence. (New York: Outerbridge and Dienstfrey, 1971), p. 36.]

2. Note: Compost is a mixture of decaying organic substances, such as dead leaves or manure, used to fertilize soil.

Because it is so dark in color, compost absorbs the sun’s rays and warms the soil. [Michael Pollan, Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education. (New York: Dell Publishing, 1991), p. 81.]

3. Many people who are victims of sexual assault do not report the crime because they are ashamed or scared to share it with anybody. [Katherine O’Neill, “Recent Sexual Assaults Occurred in Dorms,” Daily Sundial (California State University, Northridge), September 23, 2008.]

4. Current world population estimates of Armenians range from 6 million to 8 million. Approximately 3.5 million live in the Republic of Armenia, so a majority live outside the homeland. [Berge Bulbulian, The Fresno Armenians: History of a Diaspora Community. (Fresno, CA: The Press at California State University, Fresno, 2000), p. 6.]

5. Hey, there’s a Dodgers game tonight, so I’m sure there’s some extra traffic on the 5 through Elysian Park. There’s always extra traffic there when there’s a Dodgers’ game. [Traffic Report, KNX (Los Angeles), June 6, 2005.]

6. Hybrid technology is … unsuited to small cars not only because they are already fuel efficient but also because there isn’t enough space to accommodate the larger hybrid system. [Kaho Shimizu, “Different Roads to Eco-Friendly Vehicles,” Japan Times, May 22, 2007.]

7. In addition to its importance as a traditional art form, Japanese tattooing is a significant modern phenomenon because of its major impact on the form and content of temporary western body art. [Clinton R. Sanders with D. Angus Vail, Customizing the Body: The Art and Culture of Tattooing. (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2008), p. 13.]

8. Who are struggling significantly to find jobs? Teenagers, and it’s not because they’re lazy. A new report suggests its because they’re being under-utilized. [Herb Scribner, “Teens Struggle to Squeeze into the Job Market,” Deseret News (Utah), March 17, 2014.]

9. If only perfect people could get into heaven, then none of us would ever go there, because none of us is perfect! [Billy Graham, “None of Us Is Perfect,” The Kansas City Star, November 14, 2005.]

10. Note: In this passage, ‘he’ refers to Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s Press Secretary, who was about to hold his first White House press briefing.

If he’s not nervous then he’s not a human being. So I know he’s nervous ‘cuz I know he’s a human being. [Joe Lockhart, former White House Press Secretary, MSNBC, January 22, 2009.]

Extra Credit Problem:

11. There is wisdom in admitting what you don’t know. It is said that the ancient Athenian philosopher Socrates was told by the Oracle of Delphi that he was the wisest man in the world. He didn’t believe her and proceeded to conduct interviews with Athens’ finest: heads of state, great poets, artists and orators. He came to the conclusion that these people really didn’t know anything, and decided that he was the wisest man not because he was knowledgeable, but because he was the only person wise enough to admit that he was ignorant. [Andrew Fingerett, “Making Decisions Based on Charm, Not Politics,” Daily Sundial (California State University, Northridge), September 9, 2008.]