Exam 2: Identifying Arguments

Words like "because" and "since" are always followed by a premise.

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. If I cannot definitively prove that the usefulness of religion is in the past, and that its foundational books are transparent fables, and that it is a man-made imposition, and that it has been an enemy of science and inquiry, and that it has subsisted largely on lies and fears, and been the accomplice of ignorance and guilt as well as of slavery, genocide, racism and tyranny, I can most certainly claim that religion is now fully aware of these criticisms." Christopher Hitchens, God is not Great (2007), p. 229.

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. The most important question is whether or not good farming can be understood as an industry. The answer is that it cannot be so understood. The reasons are complicated, but they may be summed up in two facts: first, farming depends on living creatures and biological processes, whereas the materials of industry are not alive and the processes are mechanical; and, second, a factory is, and is expected to be, temporary, whereas a farm, if well farmed, will last forever-and if poorly farmed, will be destroyed forever. (Wendell Berry, "Stockman and the Plowman," New York Times, Op-ed, Feb. 26, 1985)

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. There is a tragic irony in the fact that American troops are not only putting their lives on the line but are also taking additional and unnecessary risks to defend some of the most undemocratic and intolerant regimes in the world. (Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem, cited in World Press Review, Feb. 1991)

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. Israeli intelligence suggests that Iran could develop an atomic bomb as early as the middle of this decade-not, as the CIA has predicted, at the turn of the century. Teheran [Iran] continues to host nuclear-power experts from China, Russia, and South Korea. Additional support for what Iran describes as a peaceful nuclear-energy program is coming from France, Argentina, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. (Al Hamishmar, Tel Aviv, reprinted in World Press Review, Feb. 1993)

Which of the following is an example of an illustration? A )A mammal is a warm-blooded animal that nurses its young. So, for example, whales, cats and . humans are mammals but turtles, birds, and insects are not. B) If Germany had invented the atomic bomb first, they would have won World War II. C) 73 percent of all Americans are opposed to the death penalty. D) Skunks get hit by cars more than other animals because they tend to stand their ground rather than flee.

In "While some scientists may disagree, it is generally accepted that homosexuality is a genetic trait," the statement "some scientists may disagree" is a

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. Wealth brings us no good of itself. Therefore it is sought for the sake of other things. (Thomas Aquinas)

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement.

An argument diagram should include all statements from the passage.

A discount is when you get something for less than the normal price.

The Principle of Charity requires that we

A hedge is a row of bushes planted to provide privacy.

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. If, for one crystal moment, the faithful-particularly the members of the American congregation- allowed themselves to view their church through the cool eye of a potential employee instead of through the opaque veil of programmed inhibition, they would observe a sexist organization that would rather recruit from the dregs of mankind than employ the most educated, dedicated, saintly women or men married to women. (Marjorie Hertelendy, "Letter to the Editor," World Press Review, Feb. 1993)

Two or more premises provide interdependent support for a conclusion when the removal of any one of the premises decreases the support provided by the others.

The Principle of Fairness requires that we

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. The Challenger spacecraft exploded after liftoff because an O-ring failed in one of the booster rockets.

An argument is a set of statements intended to provide information about a situation, topic, or event.

If the following passage contains an argument, write a well-crafted version of it; if the passage is not an argument, classify it as a report, illustration, explanation, or single conditional statement. The tiger, whose population is liberally estimated at about 6,000, may become extinct in the next decade, according to some wildlife experts. Increasingly, the beasts are being killed not for their pelts but for their bones, which are used for medicinal purposes in China and Southeast Asia. (Indian Express, New Delhi)

The Principle of Charity requires that we put an ambiguous or unclear argument in the best possible light when rewriting it as a well-crafted argument.