http://www.berkshireeagle.com/letters/ci_19230009

 So if you read the rest of this article it is about presidential candidate Rick Santorum and how he thinks the debates should include birth control. Apparently he wants to control the availability of birth control and this is part of a reader's response.
I think that this is an example of slippery slope. What do you guys think?

Tragically, the numbers of children abandoned to understaffed state orphanages would only increase exponentially. And so would the number of abortions -- the only alternative left to millions of people who would have otherwise opted for birth control-even if those abortions were unlawful, unsanitary and unsafe. Not to mention, drug dealers would see further profits, this time from selling birth control and the morning after pill RU 486 and who knows how pure those pills would be. Finally, we would see yet another increase in the prison population as untold thousands of people would be imprisoned right next to murderers, rapists and child molesters for having or performing illegal abortions or caught selling birth control items.

Homework

So since Professor Silliman talked about how we aren't using our blogs enough I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to throw up some more homework questions and we can all help each other out. More blog activity, hopefully clearer understandings of the problems, everybody's happy.

3.3
Part 1
2. I wasn't sure if this one had no fallacy or if it was a weak analogy.
Part 2
7. I couldn't figure this one out. It seemed like it would be more of the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy but I think I just wasn't reading the problem clearly or couldn't figure it out or something.
Part 3
2. I couldn't decide if this one was missing the point or oversimplified.
3. Is this one no fallacy? It seems like it could be ad hominem abusive but I'm not sure
5. Is this one no fallacy? I have no clue
10. I couldn't decide if this one was missing the point or red herring or maybe neither haha
15. Is this one no fallacy or weak analogy?
18. No fallacy?
19. Is this one no fallacy or is the relationship between airplanes and a rock concert a weak analogy?
21. This one drove me nuts. I tried to go through and figure out which ones it could be, I got; hasty generalization, missing the point, accident, or appeal to pity. After going through those I think that the appeal to pity is most likely.
26. Is this one accident or hasty generalization?

Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks

Bianchi

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/letters/ci_19186278

Tuesday October 25, 2011

Anybody who coaches or cheers on youth baseball teams should remember that Dan Bianchi fought against a new minor league baseball park. Oh yes, we did get a great pharmacy with a drive-up window.
Say NO to Bianchi, before he says NO to Pittsfield again. ERIC STONE
Pittsfield

P1. Dan Bianchi fought against a new minor league baseball park
P2. A drive-up pharmacy was built [instead? I'm not sure]
______
Don't vote for Bianchi

So this guy thinks that because Mayoral candidate Dan Bianchi did not approve a new minor league baseball park, he should not be the mayor of Pittsfield. I'm struggling to see if there is a fallacy in this or if it even constitutes as an argument at all. Any thoughts?

Phase Four

·        P1 -  (Physically) music involves coordination of many muscle groups

·        P2 -  (Mentally)music requires simultaneous attention to melody, harmony, rhythm, and sometimes language

·        P3 -  (Emotionally) music deeply affects emotion

 th__________________________________

Music exercises the brain in ways no other activity can, physically, mentally, and emotionally

What do you guys think? I'm still trying to figure out how to work this

_

LCR Homework

Alright, I was doing the homework and I was interested in what people were thinking about Section II Question 9. When I put the argument into standard form i got...
P1. Religion promotes fear, superstition, and mythology
P2. Prayer lulls people into inactivity
P3. Solving problems is done through action
P4. One must be rational to solve problems
C. Religion will not help solve problems


Too many premises? Wrong conclusion? What do you think?