Argumentation


 * Super... [[image:My-Melody-Animated.gif]] **
 * I. Argumentation **

When argumenting you defend and justify your thoughts and you also argue about different solutions to given problems. Your arguments might be favoring something or against something. People might justify their ideas by using facts or opinions. Your job is to distinguish among facts and opinions and to be able to use them properly.
 * II. Assignment:**

[] 1. What is a "syllogism"? Think of an example and write it down.
 * a. Please visit the following web page and read all about argumenting**. Please answer the following questions in your wiki

The syllogism is the most famous logical sequence developed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. An example of syllogism are: Premise 1: Carnivorous animals eat meat, preferably. Premise 2: The tiger and the lion are carnivores. Conclusion: The tiger and the lion eat meat, preferable.

2. Then click on the link "using logic" and write a list of all the important words (key words) used when writing an argumentative paper.

The important words (key words) used when writing an argumentative paper are: - Premise (one, two, three, etc.) - Conclusion - Argument - Syllogism - Enthymeme - Induction - Deduction

3. Now click on "logical fallacies" and mention the types of logical fallacies that exist. Write an example of each one.

The types of logical fallacies and your examples are: 1. Slippery slope. For example: If tobacco companies warn that snuff is injurious to health, then eventually the government should eliminate all tobacco companies and not let these warnings. 2. Hasty Generalization. For Example: Even though I'm not hungry, I can say that the food looks appetizing. 3. Post hoc ergo propter hoc. For example: I ate fried beans and now I am feel nauseous, so the beans must have made me feel nauseous. 4. Genetic Fallacy. For example: Weapons are instruments of armeria harmful, especially because they were designed for war. 5. Begging the Claim. For example: sale of alcohol should be prohibited after a certain time, be dangerous for consumption in excess. 6. Circular Argumen. For example: Simon Bolivar University is an excellent professional education center because graduating very good professionals. 7. Either/or. For example: we can either water the plants or let them dry. 8. Ad hominem. For example: Bolivarian Missions are not effective because they teach do not know anything. 9. Ad populum. For example: if you really want your pet would not allow animal abuse. 10. Red Herring. For example: informal vendors make the city ugly, but if you do not have this work as supporting their families? 11. Straw Man. For example: people who do not support or are against socialism, according to President Chavez, is because the poor do not support. 12. Moral equivalence. For example: The cashier arepera is uglier than a toothache

4. "Logic in Writing" is an esencial link for you to use when writing your argumentative essay. Please keepo it in mind and revise it when possible.

As I said before it is very important for you to determine if something is a fact or an opinion. Go to the following link and do the exercises. Please check your answers.
 * b. Fact or opinion**. Please do the following exercises

Decide which of these statements are fact or opinion from the drop-down list, then click on the "Finished" button to obtain your score out of ten. 1. Smoking is a nasty habit. __opinion__ 2. Smoking is an unhealthy habit. __fact__ 3. Daffodils are the prettiest of all the spring flowers. __opinion__ 4. Summer is the best season of all. __opinion__ 5. London is the best city to visit when touring in England. __opinion__ 6. London is the capital city of England. __fact__ 7. Mary is the best shot in the netball team. __opinion__ 8. John scored the most goals this season. __fact__ 9. Football is better than netball. __opinion__ 10. Swimming is a good way to keep fit. __fact__

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 * c. Read the text "Special Relativity" in**: [] read it and extract the arguments the author gives, paste them in your wiki. Explain if the arguments are in favor or against the relativity of time theory.

I believe Einstein's fundamental error to be that he confuses the measurement of time with the passage of time. Einstein would say that relative motion and gravity both have the effect of slowing time. I prefer to regard time as an absolute and say that relative motion and gravity slow time dependent processes. --> In this argument, the author is against that relative motion and gravity, described by Einstein.

However, since the satellite is undergoing centripetal acceleration as it moves on its circular path about the earth, the special theory of relativity is said to be no longer valid and the general theory is used to explain the result. --> Here the author's argument is neutral because it gives an information which has been reached by agreement among several scientists.

I believe Einstein's theories of special relativity and general relativity to be wrong because they describe the universe as having a fourth dimension of time in addition to the three dimensions of length width and height. --> The author returns to be against the theories of Einstein's special relativity and general relativity because he believes are mistakes.

Time does behave as a fourth dimension in the records of events recorded in Cartesian co-ordinates (x,y,z,t), and Einstein's equations consequently give consistent results, but that is not to say that he has described the way in which nature works. --> Here the author supports the results of Einstein since you appear to be consistent but that has not supported correctly described how nature works.

The question arises as to whether a magnetic field is a real entity, or an artefact of the relative movement of the observer who measures it. Relativity supporters will say that the latter is true. Others will disagree. Many I suspect hold both views from time to time depending on the context within which the subject comes to mind. As we follow the history of the subject, we find that the early experimenters took the view that magnetic fields were real and that they were located around the magnet or electric circuit generating them. Maxwell was the first to assume otherwise. His understanding of magnetic fields is that they are composed of a flux which is stationary in the aether. When he moves a magnet, the magnetic field decays behind it and is built up in front of it. This requires a movement of energy from the back to the front of the moving field described by the Poynting vector. This concept lives on in our explanation of the way in which radio waves convey energy, and in the theory of how energy is conveyed by the electricity main into every home. In relativity, the magnetic field is stationary in the reference frame of an observer who observes it because it is an artefact of their observation. --> Here, too, enters a general argument described as those who support and those who are against the theory of relativity.

There is thus a property of local absolute stationary-ness which I call "stasis" against which moving electric charges generate magnetic fields. The speed of light is constant relative to stasis. My prediction is that the surface of the earth moves through stasis with two significant components of velocity, one of about 16 metres per second in the direction of its path around the sun; the other, which varies with latitude, equal to half the surface velocity due to rotation, in a westerly direction. --> Here is again against the stationry-ness he calls stasis, and gives his own argumentation on the surface of the Earth.