Repairing Arguments

Cats are boring. All they do is sleep and eat.Which is why dogs make more exciting pets.

 This argument is not good because it doesn't say how dogs would be more exciting. Also, this doesn't clarify anything about kittens who are usually full of energy and like to play just as much as dogs do. This current argument is strong or valid either because the statements may not be true to everybody. Some people may find the calmness of a cat to be just as exciting as the dogs who are hyper. To repair this argument we would first need to make it strong. We can do that by making it a personal argument having the speaker say, "I want an animal that likes to run around and have constant attention. So I would rather have a dog because as cats age they mostly like to lounge around and sleep making them boring."

Complex Arguments

1 I'm on my way to school. 2 I left five minutes late. 3 Traffic is heavy. 4 Therefore, I'll be late for class. 5 So I might as well stop and get breakfast.

Argument? Yes
Conclusion: I might as well stop and get breakfast.
Additional premises needed? I would add this sentence to give the argument more depth. a If I am going to be late for class I might as well be even more late.
Identify any subargument: a supports 5. 1,2,3 support 4.
Good argument? This could be a good argument if the additional premise was true.

Time Pressure in Group Work

In the book, The Essential Guide to Group Communication it discusses ways to help avoid time pressures in group work. The overall planning and leadership styles of a group are effected by how much time they get to work together.

It is important that groups can communicate in any given time frame. The book gives an example of a group having to complete a task in 5 minutes and the loudest person took lead and gave direction to the group, but when the group was given unlimited time they were able to all have an opinion and complete the task successfully and better in only twelve minutes. 

There are a few ways groups can manage their time. Groups could take a poll, a leader can make time limits on each members time, and lastly the group could make no decisions at all. For a group to work well together it is best that back up questions are asked to all ideas brought up by each member. Groups should use the consensus method allowing a fair chance to all ideas.

Strong vs. Valid Arguments

"A strong argument with true premises is sometimes better than a valid one with the same conclusion" (Epstein, 48).
   It is better to have a strong argument because it gives the argument depth while a valid one may beg for question. An example of a strong argument is; "Every girl I have seen or talked to wearing a pink sorority shirt is in a sorority. Therefore, any girl wearing that shirt is in a sorority." This argument is strong because it gives to reason to believe the conclusion is true. It makes sense to believe that girls in the pink shirts are in a sorority because it is known that they are the only people who have them. The conclusion is plausible, but there is the chance that it is false because a roommate or sibling who isn't in a sorority borrowed it.
An example of a valid argument is; "Sororities are the only ones who distribute the pink shirts. Therefore, all girls in pink shirts are in a sorority."
   A strong argument and valid argument are dependent on what the conclusion is trying to prove.

What makes an argument plausible?

Arguments come in many different forms. They can be either weak or strong, or true or false. Many arguments aren't strong because they don't have anything to back them. The example given in the book Critical Thinking about God writing the Bible is a perfect example. The person arguing didn't give any support causing the argument to come to an end with no clear conclusion. In order for an argument to be considered good it needs to pass one of these three tests; the premises are plausible, the premises are more plausible than the conclusion, and the argument is valid or strong.
An example of a valid argument is:
"My dad rides his bike to work everyday. His bike was at the house when I got home. My dad didn't go to work today." While this argument is plausible it is set up to be weak. The first premise may be true, but it is no more true than that third. This is what makes the argument weak. Although my dads bike was home it may be because he carpooled or took the bus. In order for this argument to pass the three tests it would need more supporting evidence. In addition to his bike being home I would need to include that his work backpack was by the door and there was food cooking in the kitchen. This makes the argument more plausible, but it can still be considered weak.
Arguments need to be clear and have supporting backup to make it strong and plausible. Without that the argument tells us nothing.

Descriptive and Perscriptive Claims

Descriptive claims are statements that are saying what is while prescriptive claims state what should be. When somebody uses a descriptive claim they are just stating a value judgment. They are stating what is good or bad in a vague sentence. An example of this is, "underage drinking is wrong." This is stating that drinking at an age under twenty one is wrong, but it doesn't state how the situation should be. If the statement was "the law for underage drinking needs to be more strict in the fact that many places don't as for an ID." This sentence is more prescriptive and describes what should be.
Prescriptive claims give something to debate about. It allows for two different views on a subject while a descriptive claim does not.

Am I Being Too Vague?

While I was in class the other day I overheard somebody say, "this classroom is too hot." Being in the classroom myself I understood what was meant of this statement. This classroom was in the building that unfortunately has no air conditioning and it was a ninety degree day outside. If somebody who wasn't in the class could have many questions to make the statement more clear such as; where is your classroom? Is the heater on in the room? Are people moving around making it warmer? Why don't you just turn on the AC?
Even though this sentence seems straight forward it can still bring up many questions like those making it a vague statement. We use vague statements all the time (even this was vague). It is so common to be vague because it gets to the point quicker than explaining everything that factors in to the situation.