Argumentation


 * What happened Francis? You did not finish** .. [[image:happysun.gif width="75" height="75"]]
 * I. Argumentation **

When argumenting you defend and justify your thoughts and you also argue about different solutions to given problems. Your arguments might be favoring something or against something. People might justify their ideas by using facts or opinions. Your job is to distinguish among facts and opinions and to be able to use them properly.
 * II. Assignment:**

[] 1. What is a "syllogism"? Think of an example and write it down. A syllogism is a logical sequence based on a serie of propositions that lead to a concrete, definite logical conclusion. A syllogism similar to the example on the web page would be this one: a- If I sleep more than eight hours a night, I feel rested and energic the next one day. b- I slept ten hours yesterday night. Conclusion: I feel rested and energic today.
 * a. Please visit the following web page and read all about argumenting**. Please answer the following questions in your wiki

2. Then click on the link "using logic" and write a list of all the important words (key words) used when writing an argumentative paper. Writing argumentative paper use premises, propositions, and conclusions, that could be obtained by inductive or deductive thinking. Usually, some key word are used, like the following list: "it exists", "it does not exist", "always", "never", "all of them", "none of them".

3. Now click on "logical fallacies" and mention the types of logical fallacies that exist. Write an example of each one. a.-Moral equivalence: which compares some liking or disliking events, people or situations with the worst known one (ore the best known one) troght moral similar relationships. Example: That professor is as bad as a demon; I failed his test. b- Straw man: based in simplifying the opposite's argument and attacking it. Example: young people dont understand life importance, so they get many more risk tat older people. c- Red Herring: basically based ond avoiding issues and important opposite's arguments by giving other supporting your idea and ignoring opposite's. Example: I know motorcycles are too risky, but bicycles are not asf fast as I like. d- Ad Populum: based on referring to possitive or negative feeling and concepts instead of the truly situation. Example: If he loved is country, he wouldnt be thinking on leaving it. e- Ad hominen: based of referring to the opposite's characterisitics rather than his ideas and points of view. Example: that one can not be the right color combination because your taste is horrible. f- Either-or: bassed on arguing leading to simplifye opposite's argument until two opposite choices. Example: Blackberries are in this days; or you buy one right know or you won't be able to talk to your friends soon. g- Circular argument: it happens when you try to prove something using precisely with you are arguing, adding no more. Example: Police believed he was guilty because a policemen imagined so. h- Genetic fallacy: assumes the origin of an object, idea or situation determines its worth, relevance or character. Example: This highways are not good because they were built by prisoners. g- Post hoc ergo propter hoc: assumes cronological relations that are not true, assuming that if a sittuacion A happen after an event B, the event B must have caused the situation A. Example: There was an earthquake after the raining; probably to much raining caused the earthquake. h- Hasty generalization: it happens when there is not enoght information to postule an position or an argument. Example: I dont know if it has rained in Caracas this days, but I would say if it rains tomorrow, it will be a flood on some streets. i- Slippery Slope: when there are many variables that might cause a situation and only one of them is considered. Example: He got late. His car must have been out of gas.

4. "Logic in Writing" is an esencial link for you to use when writing your argumentative essay. Please keep it in mind and revise it when possible.

As I said before it is very important for you to determine if something is a fact or an opinion. Go to the following link and do the exercises. Please check your answers.
 * b. Fact or opinion**. Please do the following exercises

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 * c. Read the text "Special Relativity" in**: [] read it and extract the arguments the author gives, paste them in your wiki. Explain if the arguments are in favor or against the relativity of time theory.