Friday, March 13, 2009

Preparing for Final: The Fallacy List

By now you should have received test #5. I got them done this morning so instead of leaving them at the library, I had them put in your mailboxes.

Here is the fallacy list so you can study:

A. Inappropriate appeal to authority
B. Appeal to Ignorance
C. False alternatives
D. Loaded questions
E. Questionable Cause
F. Hasty Generalization
G. Slippery Slope
H. Weak analogy
I. Inconsistency
J. Personal attack (ad hominem)
K. Attacking the motive
L. Look who's talking
M. Two Wrongs make a right
N. Scare tactics
O. Appeal to Pity
P. Bandwagon
Q. Straw man
R. Red herring
S. Equivocation
T. Begging the question
U. Denying the antecedent
V. Affirming the consequent
W. NO fallacy

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Answers for Matching Section, Test 4

Answer key for test 4:

27. F
28. G
29. B
30. H
31. E
32. I
33. C
34. A
35. D

Preparation for Test #5


This test will cover the material in chapters 5 and 6: fallacies of relevance, and fallacies of insufficient evidence.

I will expect you to be able to identify all 11 fallacies of relevance, and all 9 fallacies of insufficient evidence. While you will not have to recite the list of 20 names, you will need to be able to label various texts that commit these fallacies, when given the list to choose from.

TO PREPARE:
1) Be sure to check out the online study resources at
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072879599/student_view0/index.html. Notice the drop down menu on the left. Click on chapter 5 and then on chapter 6. Do the T/F and multiple choice quizzes for both chapters.

2) Do the exercises in the book. Remember that the answers for all exercises are on reserve in the library. The key to success is practice. The more exercises you do, the more practice you will have.

3) e-mail or call me if you have questions.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Paul's Argument in Romans 3


Paul was a master of argumentation, but as Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:16, "His letters contain some things that are hard to understand." Can you analyze this argument of his? (Look out for indicator words, and lots of subconclusions!)


Paul’s Argument in Romans 3

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge.”
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, [then]what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved.

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their
eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Homework for Thursday, March 5


Write or find an example of each of the 11 fallacies of relevance Label each one. Make sure the text is legible. I will be collecting your work at the start of class, and I won't be accepting late work.

Test # 4 Results

Here's the totals for our fourth test:

A- = 1
B+ = 2
B = 1
B- + 1
C+ = 4
C = 4
D+ = 1
D- = 1
F = 5