Exercise Set #5 – Credibility and Testimony PHIL1600 – Reasoning Skills (Winter 2023)

.docx

School

University of British Columbia *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

1600

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by MinisterFreedomShark29

Exercise Set #5 – Credibility and Testimony PHIL1600 – Reasoning Skills (Winter 2023) 1. On the basis of claims you already have good reason to believe, your background information, and your assessment of the credibility of any cited experts, indicate for each of the following claims whether you would accept it, reject it, or proportion your belief to the evidence. Give reasons for your answers. If you decide to proportion your beliefs to the evidence, state generally what degree of plausibility you would assign to the claim. (i) Yann LeCun, one of the most well-known scientists of our time, insists that drinking water with lemon in the morning can cure cancer. (0.75 pts) I would reject this. Although this may be true I do not know enough about Yann LeCun or what the positive and negative effects are of drinking lemon water. In order for me to accept this it would need more information, facts, and statistics. Also I know that drinking lemon water is good for you. However, I do not know enough to accept the claim that it can cure cancer. I also am unaware of what kind of scientist this individual is which can affect the outcome and push me to not accept it even more. (ii) A report from Health Canada says there is no evidence that high doses of the herb ephedra can cure cancer. Ephedra must be a bogus cure.(0.75 pts) I would accept this. Due to the fact that health Canada is a reliable source. Throughout my life I have always seen health Canada studies and information and have found them to be true most of the time.

(iii) According to, Dr. Walter Willett, a renowned nutrition epidemiologist, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. (0.75 pts) I would accept this premise because Dr. Walter Willett is well known throughout the world. This claim is in his field of expertise. Throughout my life I have always eaten fruits and vegetables as I was informed from a young age that they are good for me. Although I do not know their exact impacts on cancer, I will still accept this premise based on my knowledge and the reliable source. (iv) Experts agree that regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health (0.75 pts) I can accept this because I am an athlete and I am knowledgeable on how exercise can impact the body. I know that regular exercise and getting your heart rate up significantly increases the cardiovascular health of an individual when done consistently. Although when it refers to experts, it is unclear what field the experts are a part of and may have no correlation to cardiovascular health whatsoever. I accept this premise on my own beliefs and past experiences and not based on the experts' opinions.

2. For the following passage: From What You Need To Know About Gun Control In Canada by Melissa Gismondi, Chatelaine, Updated Sep 24, 2019. What about illegal guns—where are people getting them from? It’s hard to know, says Jooyoung Lee, an expert in gun violence prevention at the University of Toronto. “There isn’t national data on this question, which is a real problem,” he said. Most of the data comes from police departments who have the resources or political will to do so, Lee added. Even some police chiefs doubt the value of a handgun ban. The Globe and Mail reports that Adam Palmer, who heads the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, said it’s “naive” to think a ban would stop handguns from entering Canada. Most guns used in violent crimes are obtained illegally, so it doesn’t make sense to ban something that’s already prohibited, said Palmer. (i) Identify one claim in the following piece that is supported by expert testimony of some description (Note: there is more than one claim in the passage that is supported by expert testimony, but you only have to identify one). (0.25 pts) “There isn’t national data on this question, which is a real problem,” he said. Most of the data comes from police departments who have the resources or political will to do so, Lee added.” This is supported by gun violence prevention expert Jooyoung Lee.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help