Epstein Chapter 14 Concept: Generalizations

The concept of generalizing strike out the most for me because is a common thing that I sometimes I do as well as my friends and acquaintances. Maybe generalizing is just a natural habit that a person does due to their influences from their peers, professors, the books they read, and/or the media. Overall, most generalizing comes from our experiences. Unless, you're a scientist, in which, according to Epstein, bases their generalizations "from the groups of people [they] interviewed or studied." (Epstein 279).

A generalization occurs when "we conclude a claim about a group from a claim" based off a sample. (Epstein 280). In other words, it's an extensive claim about a particular group, person, place or thing.

Generalizing is not a bad thing, rather it is a way of arguing. However, in order to make generalizations become a plausible argument, it should be backed up with facts and evident examples. Otherwise the sample you are trying to argue for based on your generalizations will not be able to convince anyone. Therefore it is essential, to have a sample that is representative, vast, and researched well. (Epstein 289).

Favorites

My favorite thing about this class was the concept of blogging. I have kept a journal in the past, but I had never written a blog before. Compared to sending in documents of my homework to my teachers via email, blogging made doing and discussing the homework more casual. I liked how I was able to freely express my thoughts on a blog without having a rubric surfacing in my mind pointing out errors in punctuation marks or slight grammar mistakes. The goal was to just answer the question in my own way and to prove that I understood the material. It made the idea of homework feel less uptight.

Although I enjoyed the assignments for the group work, I hoped that even though this is an online class that it would be simple to have sufficient communication with group members. It's not as easy to meet up as a group or get a hold of a group member like it is when there is a class setting, since the convenience of seeing your classmates at least once a week is not applicable. In the end though, I learned more about working in a group when being in an online class and how clear communication and punctuality is needed in order to successfully fulfill an assignment.

Comm 41 Has Taught Me...

...how to think critically much better. For instance, when my friend asked me if her thesis for her argument against animal cloning was effective and convincing, I advised her to elaborate on her stance the unethical procedures involved in the cloning of animals. Recommending her to explain her explanations more concretely prevents vagueness from occurring. From taking this class, I am more alert to vagueness and/or ambiguity when it comes to noting them in claims.

I also learned more about fallacies. Before immersing in this class, I knew what a fallacy meant, but I only knew 7 types of fallacies, such as appeal to authority, appeal to emotion, appeal to fear, appeal to pity, appeal to spite, appeal to ridicule, and false dilemmas. I did not realize that there were fallacies that doubled the number I knew. I learned about fallacies such as straw man, hasty generalizations, post hoc ergo propter hoc, ignoring a common cause, and begging the question. It is beneficial for me to be knowledgeable of the different types of fallacies so I would not be oblivious if I were to unintentionally make one or read one.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

There are moments in my life where I just make assumptions of the cause that led up to that particular effect at hand. These assumed causes create a post hoc ergo propter hoc, which is essentially jumping to a conclusion by thinking that whatever happened after that occurrence is the cause of it. It's a person's way of using their imagination to come up with a cause in order to understand the reasoning behind it. Yet, jumping to a conclusion omits any chance of other causes being the reason of the effect.

Example:
Ever since Mia Hamm visited our soccer team during practice, we have been on a winning streak by beating our opponents at every soccer match.

--> This reasoning that the soccer team is winning all their games ever since Mia Hamm made a special appearance during their practice is a mere coincidence. The reason the soccer team is on a winning streak could be due to the players practicing more or their determination to win in each match.

Thoughts On: Mission Critical Website

I really liked the Mission Critical website because it outlined most of the content that we have been reading and discussing about throughout the semester, such as the premises, vagueness and ambiguity, fallacies, causal arguments, and more.

The concept of deductive reasoning was still unclear for me and what helped me improve my understanding of it the most was by doing the exercises they provided for this concept. If I got an answer right or wrong they would explain why such a decision happened. After taking the practice tests, I can identify that the main premise in deductive reasoning has to have a commonality between to terms and can be stated as a "generalization, rule or principle." Additionally, I learned that when restating a claim for deductive reasoning, is to remember to "replace active or passive verbs with state-of-being verbs," such as is, am, was, are, being, be, were, and been and to condense sentences in any way I want as long as it does not cause confusion. Lastly, deductive reasoning can contain of syllogisms. A syllogism follows: If A is true then B is true (If A then B) --> Example: "All dogs have tails." Syllogism: "If Ralph is a dog, then he has a tail."

Now, I know which website to refer to if I ever need a refresh about the critical thinking concepts we have learned.

Thoughts On: Cause and Effect website

I felt the Cause and Effect to be a confusing website to comprehend in one gulp due to all the information being splayed throughout the web page. If they had condensed it by narrowing down and outlining the important information of casual arguments, it may have been clearer for me to understand and grasp the content the first time. Although, there were some interesting examples on the website that partially guided me to understand the concept of casual arguments.

What confused me the most was the example of the bicyclist and the illegal truck. First it explains the claims given by the bicyclist and illegal truck to defend their cases "seems to fit the pattern of an inductive argument, because none of them seems based on observation or experience. But, in fact, they do fit that pattern. " And then the explanation transitions to that inductive reasoning are based on observed instances, yet this particular argument did not require such observations because of the similar arguments that the lawyers came up with? That part left me dumbfounded in determining when a casual argument can make do without using observational instances to defend a stance.

Judging Analogies

An analogy is a comparison to two words or phrases that have a similar relationship. There is no need to analyze an analogy in an argument as long as it is executed coherently. If the analogy is not clear enough to make out, then action must take place to evaluate whether both pairs in the analogy actually show similarities and "guess the important ones" to find a central "principle that applies to both sides." (Epstein 256).

An example:

It is wrong for the government to provide marijuana to the public just as it is wrong for people to sell marijuana on the streets to other people.

This analogy is not sufficient because the government may be providing marijuana for different reasons than a person selling it on the street. The government may be allowing the use of marijuana to individuals that need to relieve their pain whereas people selling it on the street may be drug dealers looking for quick cash. There are not enough premises to back this analogy up; therefore it is not convincing in an argument.

Additionally, when evaluating an analogy, consider these 7 questions: (Epstein 257)

1. Is this an argument? What is the conclusion?
2. What is the comparison?
3. What are the premises? (one or both sides of the comparison)
4. What are the similarities?
5. Can we state the similarities as premises & find a general principal that covers the two sides? Do the differences matter?
   
6. Is the argument strong or valid? Is it good?

Casual Reasoning

I chose to research the concept of casual reasoning a bit further. At first, the meaning of casual reasoning as "the idea that any cause leads to a certain effect, and is an example of inductive reasoning," was still a bit unclear in my understanding.

So I went to look up other websites that explained casual reasoning more in a much simpler way and using examples to back up their explanation. I read how scientists use casual reasoning as a way to determine hypotheses. Along with this, are "five methods of using causal reasoning to determine what causes a certain effect," which was formed by John Mill.


These five methods are as follow:

1. The Method of Agreement
2. The Method of Difference
3. Agreement and Difference
4. Concomitant Variation
5. The Method of Residues
   

Here are is an example of casual reasoning that I thought of:

EX) Rick was singing a soprano last night at a concert. This morning, he could barely speak to me.


I have provided the link I found below:

http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/jyoung/causal_arguments.htm

7 Ways To Reason

1). Reasoning by Analogy

--> Involves a comparison. Keep in mind, that just because there is a comparison, it does not mean that it is an argument.

EX) A dog is from the Canid family and so is the fox. If people can safely have a dog as a pet, then a fox should be safe as a pet too.

2). Sign Reasoning

--> An assumption that “one thing or event is a reliable indicator of another thing or event.”

EX) Julie did not pick up her phone when I tried to call her. She must be busy at work.

3). Casual Reasoning

--> “Any cause leads to a certain effect. It is seen as an example of inductive reasoning.”

EX) I stayed out late playing video games with my friends last night instead of getting sleep for the marathon I have today, so this led to my poor performance during my race.

4). Reasoning by Criteria

--> Deciding whether the criteria is valid or not.

EX) How do you know if going to the bar to celebrate a 20^th birthday party is appropriate? Let’s talk it out and possibly think of another safe location.

5). Reasoning by Example

--> Using examples in an argument to prove a point. The examples can involve anecdotes, a common scenario, or a metaphor.

EX) Do you really want to become a doctor? You have to go through at least 9 years of schooling and it’s such difficult work. Are you sure you can manage such a commitment?

6). Inductive

--> Uses “inferences from observations in order to make generalizations.”

EX) Your friends know how to make their own rice. You can too.

7). Deductive

--> It is a form of valid reasoning. All parties in this reasoning are deemed accepted and not pondered.

EX) 1. Spiders are arachnids.

2. A tarantula is a spider.

3. The tarantula is an arachnid.

Appeal to Spite

An appeal to spite is a way for an individual to get "even" with another person to justify their reasoning for doing such actions. These actions are embedded with bitterness and hatred towards the other person.

For example:

Fidel: Mitch's birthday party is this Saturday. Have you gotten anything for him?

Charlie: I am still looking for a gift. I was thinking of buying him a Powell Brand skateboard for him.

Richie lightly speaking to Charlie: Hey man, remember at your 20th birthday bash, Mitch didn't even get you a present. Why are you even bothering to get him one?


--> Richie argues that Charlie shouldn't buy a gift for Mitch's birthday because Mitch did not give a present to Charlie when it was his birthday.

A stronger premise to this argument would be, "You should not give others gifts if they did not give one to you." Even so, I don't find this to a rational reason to justify not giving a gift. It's a bit selfish to me in my opinion. Just because Mitch didn't give Charlie a gift on his birthday, it does not make it legitimately right for Charlie to turn back and do the same thing to Mitch, instead it would be due to intentions of spite.

Chapter 10 Exercise #3 - Pg. 195

The advertisement I chose was done by the Montana Meth Project, who is a group that is focusing on preventing meth use amongst people in Montana, especially those in their teen years.

The picture of the woman with uneven, stained teeth and scratches and scabs on her lips and face creates a dramatic appeal to fear towards the readers viewing this particular advertisement. The appeal to fear is that if a person does not want to end up looking like the woman above, they should most definitely not start using meth. The sarcasm of the advertisement: "You'll never worry about lipstick on your teeth again," is very intriguing and it made me think: "That is not the kind of lipstick I would like on my mouth." To me based off this advertisement, meth is not worth it and has negative effects orally.

To sum up this advertisement as an argument, the premise would be that if a person uses meth, then consequently their mouth may end up like the woman above. This is considered as a valid argument. Use meth and you will get problems in your mouth. The premise and conclusion cannot be true and false at the same time.

Although the appeal to fear is spot on and can catch a person's eye from a mile away, if there were more information pertaining facts about meth leading to harsh oral conditions, this advertisement could be much better. I get the point though and seeing that the advertisement is produced by the Montana Meth Project, it is obvious that they are convincing their audiences to back off from meth.

Appeal to Emotion - Appeal to Pity

An appeal to emotion is embedded in an argument in order to convince the person being persuade to make a decision based on how they feel about the given claim. Appeal to emotion can be easily seen in the media, such as in advertisements that involve electoral campaigns trying to play with people's feelings in order to gain votes. Commercials and magazine advertisements also play a role in appeal to emotion because they manipulate their readers to buy the products they are promoting and/or to make them feel that they need such a product to make their life or appearance more sufficient.

An appeal to emotion that pops my eye the most is an appeal to pity, which is a way to get someone to act out of sympathy. This is not an effective way to carry out a belief or action because it is solely based on emotion and not rational evidence that backs up a point of view.

For example:

Jimmy: I can't finish this slice of cheese pizza mom.

Mom: You only have half a slice of the pizza left, just finish it up.

Jimmy: But, I am really full and I can't handle it anymore.

Mom: Don't waste food. You know how many starving children there in Africa, Asia, and even parts of the United States and the rest of the world? How would they feel if they knew you wasted your food? You are privileged to be able to eat good food. So, don't be disrespectful to these children by not finishing that pizza.

Jimmy: Fine, I'll finish my food.

--> So basically, mom is using the starving children card to guilt trip her son to finish his pizza. Her argument is that there are starving children in the world, so he should not leave behind his unfinished pizza. Thus, Jimmy would feel bad about wasting his food when there are kids that don't even get to eat.

Fallacy Concepts That Need More Practice/Depth: Slippery Slope

The slippery slope was a bit confusing for me to understand as I was reading the description of it in the Epstein text. It is defined as a "chain with conditionals where at least one of them is false or dubious." I am pretty sure that practicing on identifying any slippery slope fallacies in an argument will help me understand and notice these fallacies better. Yet, it is difficult for me at times to determine whether the conditional is really false or dubious because there are conditionals that sound so convincing to me that I cannot be too sure to mark it as a slippery slope fallacy.

As I researched online to find more in depth information about a slippery slope fallacy, I learned that it is an illegitimate use of the "If...then" claim because it causes people to think "that one thing must lead to another." In reality, this is not necessarily true.

For example:
If Macy takes one puff of a lit up cigarette, then she will become addicted to smoking.

Just because Macy takes one puff of a burning cigarette, it does not mean that she will get addicted to smoking. That one puff could cause her to detest smoking and to never try it again.

I also found a very helpful tip: "Check your argument for chains of consequences, where you say "if A, then B, and if B, then C," and so forth. Make sure these chains are reasonable." This tip reminded me of the Check process of a math problem after I completed it in order to make sure that the answer I got was actually correct. This tip is a great tool on justifying whether an argument can be plausible or if it has fallen under a slippery slope.

http://www.logicalfallacies.info/presumption/slippery-slope/
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/fallacies.html

Numero 2

I enjoyed the second assignment, Critical Thinking and Social Organizations, because it motivated me to look up organizations that I was familiar with, but not quite knowledgeable about. Also, I got to work with the same people from the first group paper, so it was more comfortable and easy-going to communicate with each other when breaking up the parts of the paper for each person to work on.

As a group, we decided to analyze PETA. All of us knew about PETA and their mission to protect animal rights, however we wanted to explore the other key focuses of PETA through their videos, campaigns, and advertisements. PETAs website had a good amount of fallacies, claims, and arguments regarding the protection of animals and it really let me reflect on the concepts I learned throughout this course.

PETA is very good at using pathos, which is an appeal to emotion, in their advertisements and videos. I was happy to be able to identify the pathos in videos that showed animals being skinned for their fur and sick cow being pushed by a forklift in order for them to stand upright. Their words to describe the issue they are fighting for is very captivating and descriptive: "Every day in countries around the world, animals are fighting for their lives. They are enslaved, beaten, and kept in chains to make them perform for humans' "entertainment"; they are mutilated and confined to tiny cages so that we can kill them and eat them; they are burned, blinded, poisoned...." PETA's message against animal cruelty helped me decide whether their arguments were valid or good and if they can be deemed plausible and made me realize how powerful using pathos as a tactic to convince people can be.

Ch. 8 = General Claims & Vague Generalities

General Claims involve the word "all" or "some." Claims that consist of these words can make a claim appear valid, but in actuality, the claim may be too general and there could be other possibilities that could make the claim invalid.

For example:
All elementary school and junior high school kids pee in the public pools.

All is "every single one, no exceptions,... and their is at least one." (Epstein 160). So, in the above example there is no way that none of the elementary and junior high school do not pee in public pools. At least one has got to.

This claim is invalid because not all elementary school and junior high school kids pee in the public pools.
----
Some on the other hand is "at least one, but all." (Epstein 160).

I will stick with the same example so it does not get confusing:

Some elementary school and junior high school kids pee in the public pools.

In this case, not all elementary and junior high school kids pee in the public pools, just some.
Using "some" in a claim is very vague because it is not backed up by a number or statistic, which prevents a claim from getting precise.


Vague generalities do not involve numbers in a claim.

For example:

• Most of the students who play badminton in high school are Asian.
• Almost all college students have tasted alcohol.
  
• Very few toddlers enjoy eating brussel sprouts.
  
• All brown bears hibernate during the winter season.
• Many of the students attending San Jose State are commuters.

Although the words "some" and "all" are classified as vague when put into a claim, they can be valid as long as there is "enough precision" (Epstein 171). If the premises are convincing enough to make the conclusion plausible, then the argument is valid.

Almost all S are P
a is S ---> Usually Strong (Epstein 171)
So a is P

For example:
Very few Killer Whales do not squeal.
Shouka is a Killer Whale.
So Shouka squeals.

What I Learned From Chapter 6 & Have Not Mentioned: Conditionals & Their Contradictories

I realized that I experience conditional promises throughout daily life, especially amongst my teachers.

My psychology teacher at SJSU tells me:
"If you come to class everyday, then I will give you 100% on your participation grade."

This claim is only a conditional one because my teacher will only give me 100% if I attend class everyday. She has not promised to do such a thing unless I follow through with her request. Essentially, if I only show up to class 50% of the time I will not get the full participation grade.

Not all conditional claims involve "If...then..."
For instance:

"Give me $50 and I will forgive you for breaking my lamp."

Nonetheless, each conditional has an antecedent, which is the A in a claim, and a consequent, which the B in a claim.

"If..(A)...then..(B).." or "A and B" --> As seen in my previous example of not all conditional claims being "If...then..."




Then, there's a contradictory of a conditional, which is:
"If" A, "then" B has contradictory A "but not" B. (Epstein 121). The contradictory generally uses "although" , "even if" or "despite that."

*Keep in note that a contradictory of a conditional is not another conditional. (Epstein 122).

An example would be:

Conditional Claim: If Kristine practices dunking the basketball in the basketball hoop, then she will be able to dunk the ball into the hoop.

Contradictory of a Conditional: Even if Kristine practices dunking the basketball in the basketball hoop, then she will not be able to dunk the ball into the hoop.

Ch.7: Attempts To Refute That Are Bad Arguments -> Ridicule

When reasoning with an argument, ridicule is a form of reasoning that is irrational and needs to avoided. Epstein describes ridicule as a "worthless device in rational discussion." (Epstein 151). It mocks others and minimizes the length of an argument because of the belittlement involved in ridicule.

I've heard conversations amongst teens in high schools and even college students that involve ridicule. Some of the ridicule I hear in conversations make me disgusted and shocked that such words and thoughts could come out of a person's mouth. I can try to reason with the person initiating ridicule, but sometimes that person may be stubborn and stuck with their old habits. This stubborness often leads me to end the conversation because it's not worth getting frustrated with arguing with such a person.

An example of ridicule I have witnessed dealt with generalizations about ethnicity:

Jace: My work hired 15 new Indian employees that are really good at creating semi-conductor boards.

Rich: They must also be good at stinking up the whole company and they probably leave a stench on the boards too. Whose going to want to buy those?

Jace: They're really nice and don't need to be insulted like that Rich. I don't need to listen to your judgments like this.


It was extremely unnecessary for Rich to insult and generalize Indians as smelly people that stink up Jace's workplace. This in turn made Jace irritated with Rich and cause him to be intolerable with Rich's irrational and rude comments.

CH.6: Compound Claims & The Contradictory of a Claim

I didn't know that one claim could essentially be made up of two or more claims. I always viewed a sentence with multiple claims as a multiple claim, but after reading about compound claims, it is "one claim composed of other claims." (Epstein 113). A compound claim may include an "or" option in the claim in order to link two claims to create a compound. "The claims that are parts of" a claim that has "or" is called an alternative. (Epstein 114). Yet, not all sentences are compound claims. If the indicator in the sentence is an argumentative one, such as "because," then the sentence becomes an argument.

Here is an example of a compound claim:

"I'll either meet up with you on Friday night after work or visit you when you work on Mondays' at Home Depot."

This is one claim consisting of two claims. Although I have not promised to do fulfill either of the things I may do above, thus it is just one claim.

______________

In addition to compound claims, are the contradictory of a claim, which is opposite of what the initial claim has stated. The contradictory of claim is also know as a "negation of a claim." (Epstein 114). This concept of contradictory of a claim was fairly easy and clear for me to understand. It was also fun trying to make up a contradictory of a claim I had made up.

Here are two examples of a contradictory of a claim:

Claim: Ricardo wins in basketball games.

Contradictory: Ricardo does not win in basketball games.


Claim: Abby does not want to go shopping at Stanford Shopping Center.

Contradictory: Abby wants to go shopping at Stanford Shopping Center.


Here is an example of a contradictory of an "or" claim
([Neither] A "or" B has contradictory "not" A "and not" B):

Claim: Jacobson will learn how throw a baseball, or he will not be the pitcher.

Contradictory: Jacobson will not learn how throw a baseball, and he will be the pitcher.

Repairing Arguments

People who smoke cigarettes have yellow teeth. Arc has yellow teeth, so he is a smoker.

It is true that people who smoke cigarettes most likely get yellow teeth and stains due to the tar build up. So the argument partially makes sense in this case, but it still weak because it's generalizing that every person who conveniently has yellow teeth is bound to be a smoker. There is not enough evidence to prove that Arc actually smokes cigarettes just because he has yellow stains on his teeth. The fact that his teeth are yellow could be the cause of other sources, such as not brushing his teeth thoroughly, drinking tea or coffee, and/or gradual plaque build-up. This argument cannot be repaired because I can't add what I may think is causing his yellow teeth. It would just be making something up or guessing in order to make this a strong or valid argument.

Advertisments

I chose a got milk? advertisement featuring Meredith Vieira, a news anchor from National Broadcasting Company's (NBC) Today Show.

Some of the words on the advertisement may be fuzzy to read so I put the words down below:

Top Right Corner:
Recent studies suggest that including 24 ounces of lowfat or fat free milk a day in a reduced calorie diet may help you turn more fat and lose more weight than cutting calories alone.

Bottom Left-Middle:

"Something to watch."

"Your weight, that is. Between taping a live show and keeping an eye on my kids, it’s hard to find time to do anything else. But I always make time for milk. So drink to your health. And to your waistline."

Print Below American Heart Association line:

Products displaying the heart-check mark meet American Heart Association food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2.

The American Heart Association's "mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke." The American Heart Association is a very well-known and knowledgeable source when it comes to maintaining a healthy heart. One of the main reasons I accept the claim that drinking milk will contribute to a healthy heart is that the association is a "reputable authority" in which I can trust "as an expert on this kind of claim and who has no motive to mislead." (Epstein 87).

Also, based on personal experiences, drinking milk has made me feel livelier and helps maintain my weight. The only part of this advertisement that I found vague, was the excerpt "Recent studies suggest that including 24 ounces of lowfat or fat free milk a day in a reduced calorie diet may help you turn more fat and lose more weight than cutting calories alone." I am not sure where the recent studies originated from, but according to the American Heart Association recognizing that milk as meeting their food criteria, they could be a plausible source for making such a study.

Epstein Concept: Information Through Personal Experience

As I was reading the Personal Section of B. Criteria for Accepting or Rejecting Claims, I agreed on how "our most reliable source of information about the world is our own experience." Most of the decisions that I make and my friend's make are based on what we hear from our peers, teachers, the teachings of any religions we believe in, the news, media, and/or books. These experiences and sources is ultimately how I decided whether I should accept or reject a claim. However, I also agree with the fact that the experiences I encounter can sometimes end up being blurry in detail and too vague to come up with a verdict of agreement or rejection for a claim. In these cases, I would suspend a judgment.

Here are some examples I came up with on whether I would accept, reject, or suspend judgment.

1) Jenny only likes eating mushrooms pizza.

I accept this judgment because it's based on what she told me through personal experience.

2) College students always drink alcohol at parties.

This is a stereotypical judgment is not true because I know college students, including myself, that don't drink alcohol when attending parties. Therefore, I reject this judgment.

3) The most poisonous snake on Earth is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.

When I was in Louisiana during the summer of 2010, a friend told me about the how poisonous the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is, but even then I am not positive if it is the most venomous snake on Earth. So, I'm going to suspend judgment.

Content Fallacy: Appeal to Authority

A fallacy is a type of argument that is persuasively misleading and is ultimately the cause of weakening an argument.

A content fallacy I choose to discuss is appeal to authority, also known as an argumentum or verecundiam fallacy. An appeal to authority is a fallacious argument when a person justifies their argument with an authority figure or well-known person as their persuasive mechanism. Even though it is impressive and pleasing to use a celebrity or prospective person in an argument, they most likely are not experts relating to the topic of the argument, thus creating an appeal to authority. This type of fallacies are commonly seen throughout the media with the participation of celebrities to encourage the promotion of a cause or to help sell a product.

For instance, an example would be involving the legalization or acceptance of marijuana:
Everyone should be smoking marijuana and promote its legalization. Jack Black, a well-known American actor, is an advocate for marijuana and pushing to legalizing it. He is even on the advisory board of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

Structure of Arguments Exercise

2. I'm on my way to school. 1 I left 5 minutes late. 2 Traffic is heavy. 3 Therefore, I'll be late for class. 4 So I might as well stop and get breakfast. 5

Argument? If an argument, number each part that might be a claim.
Yes

Conclusion:
I'm going to be late for class, so I might as well stop and get breakfast.

Additional Premises Needed?
I left 5 minutes late on my way to school and traffic is heavy, so I'll be late for class. It would have been more specific if the person explained their reason for leaving 5 minutes later than their usual time, whichever time that may be.

Identify any subargument:
Claims 2, 3 and 4 are independent and support the conclusion.

Good Argument?
No, this is not a good argument because the person merely assumes he's late for class. Leaving 5 minutes later than their usual time and encountering heavy traffic does not prove that the person will actually be late to class. In fact, they may barely make it to class. Therefore, the person's situation does not justify their reason of getting breakfast just because they think they are late. The premises are also vague, they should have mentioned where they left from. Did they leave for school from their home? A friend's house? Their grandparent's or relative's house? They should also been more specific there reason for leaving five minutes late.

Was this exercise useful or not?
This exercise was very beneficial for me to better identify an argument; its claims, conclusions, and subarguments. The exercise also improved my ability to fix premises to make them more effective and/or plausible in an argument in order to justify if an argument can be deemed good or not. Overall, this exercise was a great way to improve my skills in analyzing arguments.

"Group Communication" Concept: Mentor

In the Group Communication text, I found the concept of PRACTICE MENTORING to be the most interesting and relatable to my life.

I have always been a recreation kid. Every summer until I was age 13, I would attend summer camps held by the City of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department. Although the book says a mentor acts as a role model for a less-experienced employee, I was actually participant of the summer camp when I found my mentor, who is now my boss when I work for summer camps. (O'Hair, Wiemann 66). Since we have known each other for so long he acknowledges himself as my mentor, not my boss. I met Jon, my mentor, when I was 9 years old and when he was a recreation leader and not yet a supervisor. I looked up to him. I wanted to be a recreation leader just like him one day. Just as the book states, Jon is the mentor I am "receiving support, recognition, and friendship" from. (O'Hair, Wiemann 66).

As an employee under Jon, he is able to model for me what a good recreation leader does so that I can better the programs in the summer camps. We understand each other and have achieved a mentor-protégé relationship by establishing a "mutual understanding of the roles and characteristics" of each other. (O'Hair, Wiemann 66). Even though Jon is highly experienced and knowledgable in the Parks and Recreation field, as his protégé, I must be determine to learn and have an open-mind when I carry out the new skills I see demonstrated. However, what makes me a willing protege to learn is the fact Jon acquires all the attributes listed in the book. He is "approachable, confident, and secure," and this is what motivates me to learn from him and be a better performer in my job. (O'Hair, Wiemann 67). As I became adapted to my job, I still ask Jon for guidance when I have concerns on certain situations, but otherwise I can handle the job and tasks on my own.

What I found useful after reading about this concept was the tips the book gave on finding a mentor. They suggest individuals find a mentor that shares the same interest and career path as them. Once the person finds a potential mentor, they must take the initiative in introducing themselves to the mentor and asking the mentor any questions or advice to show that they are interested in learning from the mentor. Ultimately, the individual needs to form a positive bond with their potential mentor so that they can prove to the mentor that they have the qualifications to be a worthwhile and promising protégé.

Tests Identifying Good Arguments

According to Epstein, an argument has to pass three tests in order for it to be graded as good. First, "the premises are plausible," even more so than the conclusion following it. (Epstein 42). Finally, "the argument is valid or strong." (Epstein 42).

Example of an argument:

Michael Phelps is a fast competitive swimmer.
He is the only Olympian to ever win 14 gold metals.
So at the 2012 summer Olympics in London, Michael Phelps will be the winner of the most gold metals.

The premises in this argument are true and plausible because Phelps is a fast swimmer and really did win 14 gold metals. The premises are even more plausible than the conclusion because it cannot be determined whether Phelps will win the most gold metals at the 2012 Olympics. He may not even compete in the 2012 Olympics. Each Olympian has the same chance at getting the most gold metals as Michael Phelps does. Thus, this argument is strong because the conclusion may be false, and invalid because another Olympian besides Michael Phelps may win the most metals at the 2012 summer Olympics.

Strong Arguments VS. Valid Arguments

When the premises of a statement is true, there is no way the conclusion can be false, thus this statement is classified as valid argument. For instance, if the premises are true statements, then the conclusion must be true too in order to make such a statement a valid argument.

An example of a valid argument is:
When a person turns 18, they go buy a lottery ticket.
Jack turned 18 today.
So, Jack is going to buy a lottery ticket.

However, it is not to say that the premise of a valid argument cannot have a false premise, it's just that the claims in the argument may be deemed false and the argument can still be valid.


A strong argument is a conveyed with reason and logic. The premise needs to seem as a legitimate true statement and requires the conclusion to follow from the premise. (Epstein 49). In a sense, the argument needs to be convincing to the audience in order to persuade to them believe that it can truly happen. In contrast to a valid argument, a strong argument can have a true premise and a false conclusion simultaneously; essentially, the premise is the key to a powerful argument because it needs to "be more plausible than its conclusion." (Epstein 49).

An example of a strong argument is:
Carlyle is lactose intolerant and gets stomach aches every time he eats or drinks something with lactose. He ate an ice cream bar today. Now, he feels sick to his stomach.

"Group Communication" Concept: Leadership

I am quite positive that at least one person has engaged in leadership roles or carried out leadership duties without even acknowledging it. For instance, an student may have delegated the members of their group to complete a particular portion of their project assigned from their class.

In high school, I had my share of leadership roles that I had to carry out. I was President of a couple clubs and my responsibility was to delegate, direct, and be a positive influence to the officers and members of the specific club. I did my best to achieve the goals of the clubs I was leading with the consideration of the feelings of the members and officers that were apart of it.

Referring to the Group Communication text, I have distinguished myself as a participative leader. The way I lead has always been cooperative with the members of my group, which are usually high school volunteers. For instance, when I worked summer camps as a recreation leader for the City of Santa Clara, I liked to ask the volunteer(s) for their opinions or input about a certain activity we could play with the participants of that camp. I also try get them to share their ideas regarding new games because it may be beneficial to the level of fun the participants are having.

In addition to a participative leader, I know that a laissez-faire type leadership is when the leader chooses to be the least helpful to their group members, unless they ask the leader for help. They expect their group members to fend for themselves and carry out the duties they are assigned. I also know that an authoritarian leader is a person that has absolute control on making decisions for their group members and does not adhere to their ideas or opinions. Yet, I did not know what consultative leader entitled. I found out that it is a leader that bases their decisions on the suggestions of their group members. I find this technique beneficial to the leader if they cannot think of an idea at that particular moment, so it helps them narrow down their final decision on which ideas to carry out. However, I have dealt with leaders like this and it is very irritating sometimes because I put out my idea to the leader and in the end of making the decision, the leader just shuts my idea down without even referring to it. I just find it pointless for a leader to ask for a group member's opinion and not even consider it.

Overall, I enjoy the concept of being a participative leader the most because it allows the leader and their member to use their brains as one great force to solve a problem or build new ideas. As a participative leader, I am able to gain mutual respect amongst my group members and not worry having to make decisions on my own.

Discussing Epstein's Chapter 2 Concept: Definitions

As I was finishing up reading chapter 2 of Epstien's Critical Thinking with the concept of definitions, I thought to myself that there is more to the definition of the word definition. I always perceived the meaning of definition as only the meaning of a word. However, after reading more about definitions, I learned that it is a way for a person to convey their point to another individual or even a group. A definition is a person's guide on how to use a specific word properly; it is not a claim or a premise. It is always beneficial for me to know the meaning of the words I am using because it can help me prove my case or help me win a debate with the other person I am communicating with

In addition to definitions being a way to achieve clarity in person to person conversation, there is an imposter or arch nemesis of a definition known as the persuasive or self-serving definition because it acts as a claim to be perceived as a definition. An example of this type of definition would be, "individuals who drive or own a BMW are sure to be rich." This is not necessarily true and does not constitute a person's level of wealth. A person driving a luxury vehicle like BMW may possibly be rich or it can mean that this particular person enjoys spending money on these type of cars and has a decent salary off their job. It is not a proper definition to describe the word "rich."

In order for a definition to be a legitimate definition, it needs to be clear, precise, and not vague or ambiguous. Once this is achieved, a conversation can run smoothly without having question marks bounce on top of people's heads.

Vague Sentences (#2)

My friends Kara and Jimmy, and I were walking down a neighborhood near Miller Ave and Bollinger Road in Cupertino, heading to Lynbrook High School last Friday on August 27th. We were going to Lynbrook High School to visit and meet Jimmy's girlfriend, Jenny. Kara and I had no clue how to get to Lynbrook High School, whereas Jimmy was a pro at getting to the school; so we had to stay close to him. Jimmy was not very good at waiting for us to catch up with him. He was way too excited to meet up with his girlfriend that he left Kara and I behind. When Kara and I could no longer see Jimmy down the block, I called him on my cell phone.

When Jimmy answered his phone, I immediately asked him,"Which street did you turn on? We don't know how to get to Lynbrook without you."

Jimmy vaguely replied, "I turned between two trees."

I paused for at least 3 seconds before replying back to him because I was in awe with what I heard. "Between two trees," really? There were trees everywhere around Kara and I. We could not decipher the "two trees" he was speaking of.

Still very confused, I asked him to clarify his directions by getting more in depth than just stating that he turned between two trees. I notified him which intersection Kara and I were on so he had an idea of our location. He understood that he was not clear with his directions and became more specific by telling us to walk another block down from where we were and to turn left at the end of that block.

We finally got to Lynbrook safely and did not have to worry about receiving vague directions form Jimmy any longer.

Subjective VS. Objective Claims (#1)

A subjective claim pertains to the beliefs, opinions, values, and emotions of the individual stating the claim. This previous weekend, my friend needed help with a question he had on his calculus homework. I was not able to help him with his question because I did not know how to solve it myself. A subjective claim that my friend said to me, when I was not able to help him with his question, was how it was impossible for me not to be able to solve this question because since I am Asian, all Asians are born to excel in math. This claim is subjective because it is merely my friend's opinion of Asian people's abilities in mathematics.

In contrast, an objective claim consists of facts and is not subjective to the person's feelings and/or thoughts. I work for a non-profit called HOPE Services, whose mission is dedicated to assisting individuals with developmental disabilities to live and participate in their communities. My manager, during our work training session this previous Monday, was explaining to us that people with developmental disabilities are the most disenfranchised people in the world. This is an objective claim because it is not biased, opinionated, or related to my manager's or anyone's point of view.

Comm 41 - Critical Decision Making: Section 83

Hello everyone,

My name is Vy, it is my 2nd year at SJSU, and I am Occupational Therapy major. I had a great time my first year at SJSU and hope that this school year will be even more fun.

I enjoy being active in my community and in organizations, eating food, playing sports, and photography. I am currently on SJSU's Women's Rugby team and have a blast each time I play.

My communication experience consists of completing a public speaking class, pitching speeches to students in order to promote an organization, and delegating and working with individuals in organizations.

By enrolling in Comm 41, I hope to essentially be skilled in what the class is called, which is to critically make decisions. I want to be able to distinguish the choice(s) that is the most appropriate or relatable to my situation. Additionally, I want to be able to better guide my peers by helping them narrow down their decisions and the actions they choose to enact.

I have participated in online classes before, such as Music of the World and English 1A. I have never been in an online class where I used blogging as a means of communication nor have I ever blogged on my own. I am excited to see how the blogging process goes and what I will learn in this class.



Best regards,

Vy