Entry 4_ Nguyễn Thị Thanh

Argument structures and fallacies

Item1:

à Structure fallacies:
1. Penguins are black and white ( S are P)
2. Old TV shows are black and white(Q are P)
.......................................................
3. Therefore, Penguins are old TV shows(therefore, S are Q)

Analyze: As you see, the conclusion is completely wrong because there is structure fallacy used although premises are right.

 à valid argument:

  1. almost all S are P
  2. A is S
  3. therefore, A is P

Item 2:

à Fallacies of presumption ( false dilemma)::  In here, there are only 2 choices between corn dog and die. It means that if you don’t eat corn dog, you will die. As you can see, in fact there are many food for us to eat to live, not just only corn dog.

Item 3:

“Bây giờ dân pê đê nhiều lắm. Cứ nhìn mấy thằng ẻo lả, mặt giống con gái là biết ngay. Nhỡ mà để bọn ấy nó thích mình rồi nó bám theo thì ... tiêu”.

è Fallacies of presumption ( hasty generalization)

1.     Bây giờ dân pê đê nhiều lắm

2.     Mấy thằng con trai ẻo lả , mặt giống con gái

……………………………………………………..

3.     Bọn chúng là pê đê.

1.     Bọn pê đê mà thích mình

2.     Nó bám theo mình

………………………………………………..

3.     Thì mình tiêu

Analyze: In this sentence, the speaker violated 2 hasty generalizations I pointed out.  Although the speaker just saw some guy look like “ẻo lả” “mặt giống con gái”, he concluded they are gay. He generalized a small guy “ẻo lả” “mặt giống con gái” into a large group of gay. In my opinion, to conclude a person is gay, we have to research many factors such as: life style, heterosexual, character….In here, he has lack premises and used false premise which hasn’t  been proved (bây giờ nhiều dân pê đê nhiều lắm). The second hasty generalization is similar to the first one.

Sources: Item1:http://memegenerator.net/instance/15641111
             Item 2:http://www.flickr.com/photos/amayabella/3928444011/
             Item 3:http://vn.360plus.yahoo.com/gayblogonline/article?mid=160&fid=-1

HUY NGUYEN ENTRY_4

Item 1:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0063XYK6I/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=15684181&s=automotive

Analysis:

False dilemma: The picture offers only 2 choices : loving the country or leave it( because you don’t love it) . However , there’re not only 2 choices, there may be another  choices can be made :

-Leave it( for some reasons) but you still love it.

-Live in it, but don’t love it.

And there’re different tones of emotion varying from hatred to love.

Item 2:

Births

As three men were sitting restlessly in the hospital waiting room, a nurse rushed in and said to one of them:” Good news, your wife just had twins”.

“What a coincidence,” the man shouted. ”I’m   a ball player. I’m with the Minnesota Twins.”

A few minutes later she returned and said to one of the other men,” My God, what good news we are having to day. Your wife just gave birth to triplets.”

 “Now there’s a coincidence,” the man said:” I work for the 3M Company”

  Just when the third man fainted.  The nurse called an intern, and together they worked to revive the man. As a matter of routine, they checked his wallet for identification. It was then they discovered that he was a salesman for 7-Up”

Analysis:

The man playing for Minnesota Twins:  His wife gave birth to a twins

The man working in 3M Company : His wife gave birth to a triplets

The man working for 7-Up : His wife may give birth to 7 babies!

  Structure : If A then B

                     A

                     Therefore  B

In my opinion that’s fallacy of presumption and weak analogy. The fact that how many babies that the women gave birth to had already shown through the name of the company which the man is working is just a coincidence.  There’s no foundation for this argument.

Entry 4_Vũ Hồng Nhung

Argument structure and fallacies

item 1

"I can’t sleep when theres a full moon, for 2 or 3 days I am restless and sleepless, just lying there waiting for the dawn chorus to kick in. I have blackout blinds and thick curtains, so I never know what the moon is getting up to, but I’v realised that all my restless nights coenside with the full moon. I’ve had a busy and tiring weekend! And about 5 hours sleep total. I look out the window, great big yellow moon is floating there. "

Source: http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/the-lounge/full-moon-affect-sleep

_ Fallacies of presumption: Pro-hoc fallacies

_ Analysis: when the moon is full, she/he can sleep. she/he supposed that the reason of her/his sleeplessness is the moon. However, it doesn't relate to her/his insomina. May be it is result of some other problems such as her/his psychology, health,...

Item 2: 

“My fellow Americans…there has been some talk that the government is overstepping its bounds by allowing police to enter peoples’ homes without the warrants traditionally required by the Constitution. However, these are dangerous times and dangerous times require appropriate actions. I have in my office thousands of letters from people who let me know, in no uncertain terms, that they heartily endorse the war against crime in these United States. Because of this overwhelming approval, it is evident that the police are doing the right thing.”

Source: http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-popularity.html

_ Analysis:

If the large number endorse of something, the thing is right ( if A, then B)

Thousands of people endorse  of the action of the government ( A)

So, the action of the government is right ( therefore B)

_ Fallacies of revelance: Appeal to popularity. The writer assumes that if most people endorse an idea or an action, the idea or action is a right thing. However, may be it is wrong thing sometimes

 Item 3

“…She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,” cried the young Student, “but in all my garden these is no red rose…”

(Oscar Wilde, the Nightingale and the Rose, 1888)

_ Structural fallacy:

she would dance with me if I brought her red roses (if A, then B)

these is no red rose (not A)

Entry 4_Lê Hồng Ngọc

Item 1

At the Question Period in the House of Commons Canada, Vic Toews Minister of Public Safety said "You can stand with us, or you can stand with the child pornographers”.


Analysis: 
False dilemma: in fact, there are not only 2 choices (you can choose to be neutral).

Item 2

Analysis:  Structural fallacy-denying the antecedent


- If you drink Stampede Light Plus, you will be smart. (If A, then B)
- If you don’t drink SLP, you won’t be smart. (If not A therefore not B)
However, you can still be smart without drinking SLP.
- The right structure:
If A, then B
Not B
Therefore, not A

Item 3

Thus, marriage - for all its flaws and miseries - has evolved to promote, support and nurture that basic necessary unit. If the state goes out of its way to make marriage attractive, it is because marriage is so difficult and, in many ways, unnatural. It is far more natural for humans, animals that we are, to enjoy gratification whenever and wherever than it is to settle for decades into a system of monogamy.

...............

Making homosexual unions equal to heterosexual unions - the superior natural order of which cannot be disputed - is not just a small step for equality. It is a gargantuan leap from a natural order that has served mankind throughout civilized human society.
We should look long and hard before we leap.

Analysis:  Content fallacies: Appeal to traditional. (people forbid gay marriage because it's against the civilized human society and basic necessary unit)
-----------
Source: 
Item 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-eeP6IVlLU
Item 2: http://www.extratv.com/2008/08/20/first-look-jessica-simpsons-stampede-ad/

 Item 3: http://www.thelomonacofamily.com/thoughts/other_peoples/gay_marriage-Kathleen_Parker.html

Entry 4_Trần Anh Quân

Item 1: Where's the beef

(Wendy's commercial 1984)

• Structural fallacy: Denying the antecedent

          If you buy Wendy's Hamburger, you will enjoy a big floppy Hamburger with  more beef and less bun. (if A, then B)
          If  you don't buy Wendy's Hamberger (not A), you won't have the chance to enjoy the great Hamburger with much beef. (Then not B)

         In fact, this advertisement is not true because other companies also produce great Hamburgers with high quality.

Item 2: Science Quote by Clarence Darrow 

If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach it in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools, and next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and the newspapers... Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding. Always feeding and gloating for more. Today it is the public school teachers; tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, Your Honor, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth century when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind.

• Fallacy of presumption: Slippery slope

         take a thing like evolution make it a crime to teach -> 

->teach it to many people at many places -> (insufficient conclusion)

-> ban books and newspapers -> (insufficient conclusion)

-> burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind (insufficient conclusion)

Item 3: Japp commercial

• Structural fallacy: Denying the atencedent

          The young man is strong (B) because Japp chocolate bar gives him extra power (A) (If A, then B)

          The old man doesn't eat Japp chocolate bar (Not A)

          Therefore he is very weak (Therefore not B)

--------------------------------------
Sources:

Item 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug75diEyiA0

Item 2: http://todayinsci.com/D/Darrow_Clarence/DarrowClarence-Quotations.htm

Item 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bn5RygdfJk

Entry 4: Tran Lan Anh

1, Item 1: ”Đám cưới đồng tính: khó chấp nhận”

“ Dù đây là đám cưới thật hay trò đùa thì dư luận cũng khó chấp nhận vì nó đi ngược lại truyền thống văn hóa, thuần phong mỹ tục của dân tộc …”

Analysis: - Content fallacy/ Appeal to tradition

-       Same-sex marriage is unacceptable because it is a rejection of traditional family values.

Many people are prejudiced against a lesbian relationship, so they usually cite “traditional values” as a reason to keep things the way they are and preserve some long-standing traditions.

2, Item 2: The title: “Bị hủy show diễn, Chế Linh nhập viện”.

-       Post-hoc fallacy ( Fallacy of presumption): false premise.

-       Although Che Linh was taken to hospital after his show had canceled, it doesn’t mean the cancellation of the show was the reason for his hospitalization.

3 Item 3: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9yFuvQnCns&feature=related

-       Quảng cáo Pantene: Hàng triệu người dùng thử, 87% các cô gái muốn dùng tiếp.

-                                   “ Tóc mượt, mềm mại,giảm gãy dụng”

-       Fallacy of relevant: appeal to popularity.

-       When almost pp agree on a claim about subject S, the claim is true.

 Pantene can help their hair to be healthier and softer, which almost pp (87%) agree on.

Therefore, it’s true.

Sources:

 1,

http://www.google.com.vn/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fphapluattp.vn%2F20101218110647702p1060c1105%2Fdam-cuoi-dong-tinh-kho-chap-nhan.htm&ei=h-2ST52xCYLYigfOveyPBA&usg=AFQjCNGyWfv7qj2m5bwc5Hyb_GwHHvkOTw

  2, http://www.google.com.vn/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CC8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdantri.com.vn%2Fc23%2Fs23-539754%2Fbi-buoc-huy-show-che-linh-nhap-vien.htm&ei=SOOST9sCz5yIB_yIvY4E&usg=AFQjCNGSFWxa_haNDmopDMmlG0_DSmrbJA

Entry4_Nguyễn Xuân Dương

Item 1 :

SO WHAT KIND OF BIKER ARE YOU?

A biker went to a bar and ordered a drink. As he sat sipping his whiskey, a young lady sat down next to him. She turned to the biker and asked, "are you a real biker?". 
He replied, "Well, I've spent my whole life on Harleys. My momma was pregnant with me when she rode on the back of my Daddy's Harley, then as a little boy I rode on the back with my Daddy until I finally got my own Harley. I've been riding a Harley ever since. So yes, I guess I am a real biker." 


She said, "I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about women  . As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about women, when I shower, watch TV, eat, whatever, everything seems to make me think of women. "


Then she got up and left.


The biker was thinking about what just happened when a man sat down next to the biker and asked, "Are you a real biker?"

He replied, "I always thought I was a real biker, but I just found out I'm a lesbian." 

Analysis: Structural fallacies


All lesbians think about women all day: All S are P
The biker thinks about women all day:  a is P
Therefore, the biker is a lesbian:  Therefore, a is S

Source: http://thestonehousebar.tripod.com/id7.html

Item 2 : 

Analysis: Fallacies of presumption- Slippery slope

            - Fallacies of relevance: the fact that peple of different colors marry does not relate to the idea of people marrying pets.

 Source: http://leftycartoons.com/slippery-slopes/
Plz double click on the picture for clearer view.