Argument Evaluation
Identify at least two arguments in the article. Outline the premises and conclusions of
each argument you find. Then, answer the following questions for each argument,
making sure to explain how you arrived at your answers.
o Do the premises sufficiently support the conclusions?
o Are the arguments either deductively valid or inductively strong, or are they invalid or
weak?
o Are the premises true or plausibly true, or are they difficult to prove?
1. Argument: “The American reaction to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 was highly irrational.”
a. Conclusion: “The American reaction to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 was highly irrational.”
b. Premise: There are numerous premises stated in support of this conclusion. Some of which are as follows. Was it the number of people killed? No, sheer numbers do not explain the reaction. Tens of thousands of people are killed each year in natural disasters. Is it the proximity of the deaths that incited the extreme American response? No, car accidents alone on American soil account for more deaths every month than what occurred on 9/11. Is it the malicious intent of the terrorists? Again, no, there is undoubtedly more malice present in the 15,000 murders that occur in the United States every year.
2. Argument: This irrational reaction actually aided the terrorists in achieving their goals: to spread fear and disrupt lives.
a. Conclusion: Americans unwittingly cooperated with the terrorists in achieving a major goal: spreading fear and thus disrupting lives.
a. Premise: it is the very nature of terrorism not only to cause immediate damage but also to strike fear in the hearts of the population under attack. Americans actually contributed to the success of the terrorist’s goals with our extremely irrational reaction.
In the first argument, the premises definitely support the conclusion in a very strong manner. The...
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