can someone help me with my philosophy assignment?
January 25th, 2020
sure. whats it about?
sure. whats it about?
heres question 1 Each of the four passages below contains an argument. For each passage, say how well the argument in it succeeds as an attempt to establish its conclusion � that is, as an attempt to supply plausible reasons for believing that conclusion. If the argument does not succeed, or does not succeed particularly well, explain what undermines it. If it turns on some assumption that an ordinary reasoner should not accept without more discussion, mention this assumption. If the argument commits a fallacy with a fancy name, you may use that name, but it is not required. The main thing is to describe precisely where, if anywhere, the argument goes astray. (10 marks per argument).
(a) We received complaints about one of our weekly political interview shows. Specifically, people have alleged that more Americans than any other national group are interviewed on this show. However, this is not true. Out of fifty guests last year, only 14 of them were Americans.
(b) House, the lead character in the popular television medical drama series that bears his name, knows how to treat disease effectively, but he’s not polite and he’s not very nice. Medical students with unpleasant personalities can be encouraged by a recent survey. It shows that most people would rather have a doctor who treats disease effectively than a doctor who is polite and pleasant. So House is a pretty good role model.
(c) When doctors go on strike, the mortality rate goes down. Obviously, doctors are not, on the whole, very effective at treating life-threatening diseases.
(d) There must have been a first, uncaused event. Here’s why. Every event whatsoever has a cause and no event can be its own cause.
a. in this case statistics are hard to refute, so good argument
b. weak argument, in that most people would probably have both.
c.weak, there could be many other mitigating factors.
d. wrong. what came before the first event, and something did. between every “cause” and “effect” there are an infinte number of other causes. we simply isolate the cause we want to explain the outcome of an event as we wish to see it.
can u help with questions 2 & 3 too?
there is no 2 or 3
there is no 2 or 3Question Two (20 marks)
Read the following passage and answer the five questions that follow it. (Each question is worth 4 marks). Sunday Mail 6 May 2007
VEGETARIANS LINKED TO HIGHER BRAIN POWER
Australia’s elite high IQ group Mensa has more than its fair share of vegetarians. That might be more than coincidental, according to new research which suggests that people who choose the vegetarian path are smarter than their carnivorous counterparts. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, traced 8000 people from birth and found that those who became vegetarian by 30 had an IQ five points above the average of the group. They also tended to be better educated and of higher social class, but even after adjusting for this, they were still more intelligent, the University of Southampton study showed. Mensa Australia chief executive, Trish Kennett said … “Smart people consider all aspects of their life very, very carefully …”
(a) Based on a study which followed 8000 people, researchers suggested that “people who choose the vegetarian path are smarter than their carnivorous counterparts”. Think carefully about the kind of study involved, and the conclusion drawn by the researchers. Suggest at least three features that should be present in the study’s design, and briefly explain how these features would help make the study reliable.
(b) One explanation of the results of the study is that smartness (roughly, high intelligence) is a cause of vegetarianism. Describe, in some detail, an alternative hypothesis that is plausible enough to be considered as a rival explanation for the corrolation between vegetarianism and smartness.
(c) Given the information in the passage, how would you respond to the following claim:
“We should not conclude from the information available to us that there is a causal connection between smartness and vegetarianism. We should first look to see how widespread vegetarianism is in the population. After all, it might turn out that there is an unexpectedly high rate of vegetarianism in the population and that this is simply being reflected in the information in front of us.”
(d) Evaluate the following argument: P1: Smart people consider all aspects of their life very, very carefully.
Therefore, probably, C. If you are smart, you are more likely to be a vegetarian than somebody who is
not smart.
(e) Evaluate the following argument: P1: Smart people consider all aspects of their life very, very carefully. P2: The study, published in the British Medical Journal, traced 8000 people from
birth and found that those who became vegetarian by 30 had an IQ five points above the average of the group, even after adjustments were made to filter out effects from education and social class. Therefore, probably,
C: People who choose the vegetarian path are smarter than their carnivorous counterparts.
Question Three (20 marks) Choose either Option A or B (but not both!). State clearly which option you have chosen.
Question Three Option A
Consider the following six propositions:
(P1) There is no taxation without representation. (To paraphrase: any person who is taxed by the Government has a representative in the law-making body.)
(P2) There is no representation without taxation. (To paraphrase: any person who has a representative in the law-making body is taxed by the Government.)
(P3) Some representation comes with voting rights. (To paraphrase: Some people who have a representative in the law-making body have a right to vote.)
(P4) Everybody who has voting rights is taxed by the government. (P5) Everybody who has voting rights has a representative in the law-making body. (P6)Voting rights are fundamental in a democracy.
Question Three Option B (20 marks)
On Youtube, you can find a video of Rory Freedman in which she provides an argument for being vegan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4jsKZ_o28Q&feature=watch_response_revAlso on Youtube, you can find a video response to Freedman’s video by antybu86:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT8w90ggtIU&feature=related.Answer the following four questions. (Each question is worth 5 marks). Consider Freedman’s argument.
(a) Freedman says: �we�re the only species on the planet that drinks milk from another species and we are also the only species on the planet that drinks milk as adults.� Why is it, according to Freedman, that humans do this? And why, according to her, is this not a good reason to drink milk from other species?
(b) Freedman claims that drinking milk does not help with osteoporosis. Assuming this claim is true, how much support does this proposition give to other claims for which she is arguing?
(c) Antybu86 says: �If I can put my hand through a hole in a cow�s stomach and take stuff out and it�s not gonna notice, I have a hard time believing that it�s really gonna care that much […] about being pregnant or […] having its child taken away from it […].� How is this suppose to cast doubt on what Freedman says? How well does it succeed?
(d) Antybu86 says that if we release animals from farms, they would probably end up breeding more and producing a whole lot more methane. How might one defend Freedman against this charge?
sorry just a bump mods for to help me =D
Moved from Off-Topic to Helpdesk.bump again sorry, really need help
bump sorry need help
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