Friday, October 8, 2010
Chapter 7
For chapter 7, it discusses raising objections and refuting an argument. Raising objectives against an argument is a way to show that the argument is weak. An example of this is "B.J Penn is the best lightweight champion in the world." The objection to this sentence is "Both times when Frankie Edgar fought B.J Penn, Frankie was the underdog. Not only did he win both times but he also won the lightweight belt too." The objection to the argument shows that B.J Penn might not be the best lightweight fighter in the world if he lost to the same guy twice. In the text Epstein gives us 3 ways to refute an argument, "show that at least one of the premises is dubious, to show that the argument isn't valid or strong, and show that the conclusion is false." Someone can refute someone else's argument by attack the weak point in their sentences.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I thought this was an interesting chapter since it is teaching how we can also pick at an argument instead of finding a list of counterarguments. We get to find out which is the pros and cons. I enjoyed the example you used. In your example you pointed out that the claim is false but saying that he was an underdog and indeed not the best in the world. So the first statement is false. You were able to refute it because you knew that he even lost. I find it enjoyable when you are able prove someone wrong with hard facts and statements.
ReplyDelete