Discussion one
We have all committed fallacies at one point or another in our lives, so for this discussion we ask you to reflect on the fallacy that you find that you commit the most frequently.
Prepare: Read Chapter 7 of the textbook, and take notes. Make a selection from the fallacies that are explained in that chapter (Make sure to choose a fallacy from the textbook for this course and not from any other source. Also, do not stop at the first fallacy that you recognize since your knowledge of all fallacies will not only enhance your overall knowledge, it will also come in handy for the second discussion).
Reflect: Reflect on the fallacies that you have read and find the one that you commit the most. Think about how frequently you have committed the fallacy and what kinds of things tend to lead to you committing it.
Write: Present an example of an argument (or arguments) that you have made that commits that particular fallacy. Present the reasoning in standard form. Evaluate your argument (or arguments) by indicating the name of the fallacy that you committed and explaining why this argument is fallacious. What might you do to avoid committing that type of fallacy in the future? How might learning to avoid this fallacy benefit your life?
Discussion two
Once you learn the names of the major logical fallacies, you will probably start noticing them all over the place, including in advertisements, movies, TV shows, and everyday conversations. This can be both fascinating and frustrating, but it can certainly help you to avoid certain pitfalls in reasoning that are unfortunately very common. This exercise gives you a chance to practice identifying fallacies as they occur in daily life.
Prepare: To prepare to address this prompt, carefully read through Chapter 7 of our book, paying special attention to learning the names of common fallacies, biases, and rhetorical tricks. Take a look as well at the required resources from this week.
Reflect: Search through common media sources looking for examples of fallacies. Some common places to find fallacies include advertisements, opinion pieces in news media, and arguments about politics, religion, and other controversial issues. You may also notice fallacies in your daily life.
Write: Present three distinct informal logical fallacies you have discovered in these types of sources or in your life. Make sure to identify the specific fallacy committed by each example. Explain how the fallacies were used and the context in which they occurred. Then, explain how the person should have presented the argument to have avoided committing this logical error
Discussion three
Should Athletes use Performance-Enhancing Drugs?
Reflect back about what you have learned in this course about how to construct high quality arguments for positions. Give an example of how the ability to construct good arguments could help you in your career or in your daily life. Also, in what ways will the skill of being able to evaluate the quality of reasoning better enable you to discover what is true and to make better choices? (Give a specific example of each).
Finally, consider the argument you have been developing for your writing assignments. How has considering objections helped you clarify your perspective? What might you add to your argument to make it more convincing in light of those objections? What points would you recommend that people keep in mind in order to be fair to both sides?
Your journal entry must be at least 250 words. You do not need to follow APA style for this journal entry, but you should proofread your work to eliminate errors of grammar and spelling.