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Oklahoma State University *

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4110

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Philosophy

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by CoachOxide3157

Question 1 – Reasoning is the process of drawing a conclusion. 1. Discuss the two major concerns of public speakers with respect to reasoning. 1. The first is to make sure the speaker’s reasoning is sound. 2. The second is to get listeners to agree with the speaker’s reasoning. 2. What are the four basic methods of reasoning? Please provide a brief explanation for each one. 1. Specific Instances: Moving from particular facts to a general conclusion. For example, if you observe that all the cats you have seen have fur, you might conclude that all cats have fur. 2. Principle; Moving from general principles to specific conclusions. For example, Major Premise: All people are mortal. • Minor Premise: Socrates is a person • Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal 3. Causal: Establishing a relationship between causes & effects. For example, Because that patch of ice was there, I fell and broke my arm. 4. Analogica: comparing two similar cases. For example, if a new restaurant is successful in one city, a business owner might use analogical reasoning to predict its success in another city with similar demographics. Question 2 – Identify the kind of reasoning used in each of the following statements. What weaknesses, if any, can you find in the reasoning of each? 1. The U.S. Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Life sentencing for juvenile offenders is cruel and unusual punishment. Therefore, life sentencing for juvenile offenders is contrary to the U.S. Constitution. The first statement uses deductive reasoning to make an argument. The argument is based on a logical structure and has two premises. The weakness in this reasoning could be that the interpretation of what constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment" can vary, and different people may have different opinions on whether life sentencing for juvenile offenders falls under that category. 2. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, children with gluten sensitivity are three times more likely to develop scoliosis than children without gluten sensitivity. We can see, then, that gluten sensitivity is the cause of scoliosis.

In the second statement, the kind of reasoning used is causal reasoning. This reasoning is based on a study done by the National Institutes of Health. However, a weakness in this reasoning is that it assumes there is a cause-and-effect relationship between gluten sensitivity and scoliosis, even though the relationship is only based on a correlation. 3. Portugal decriminalized the use of drugs two decades ago, and now drug-related deaths are extremely rare. If decriminalization can work there, it can work in the United States. In the third statement, the kind of reasoning used is analogical reasoning. The argument compares the situation in Portugal, where drug decriminalization has resulted in rare drug-related deaths. A weakness in this reasoning is that it assumes that the same factors that contributed to the success of drug decriminalization in Portugal would apply in the United States. Question 3 - Over the years there has been much debate about the role of emotional appeal in public speaking. Do you believe it is ethical for public speakers to use emotional appeals when seeking to persuade an audience? Do you feel there are certain kinds of emotions to which an ethical speaker should not appeal? Why or why not? I think that it is okay to use emotional appeals when speaking in public, as long as it is done responsibly. Emotions can help us connect with the audience and make the message easier to understand. However, speakers need to be careful about the emotions they bring out and not use them to manipulate or take advantage of people.

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