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Arguments Against Faux Fur

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An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses found in the argument
Premise 1
Premise 1 argues that the animal fur industry should be stopped since faux fur is a better alternative to animal fur. It claims that faux fur delivers the same benefits (it has an indistinguishable appearance and provides greater warmth) with less environmental cost. The suppressed assumption here is that environmental damage should be prevented where possible: this is a non-controversial normative claim that does not require further support, and is, therefore, acceptable.
The first sub-premise, which asserts that “faux fur can replace animal fur in terms of human use” is non-controversial and may be easily accepted. The second sub-premise, a causal argument that faux …show more content…

Premise 1 is unacceptable because the author fails to adequately compare the environmental impact of the control (animal fur) and test (faux fur) groups, and is therefore unsuccessful in arguing that faux fur is a superior alternative. Consequently, premise 1 holds a very weak inference as to why the animal fur industry should be stopped. Premises 2 and 3 are unacceptable since they are linked, and premise 2 lacks sufficient analysis of the test and control groups. Since the author does not compare the levels of suffering between the test (fur industry animals) and control (non- fur industry animals) groups, we are unable to conclude that suffering would be reduced or prevented by ending the animal fur industry. Hence, premises 2 and 3 do not support the argument that the animal fur industry should be stopped to prevent suffering. Lastly, Premise 4 is unacceptable because it commits fallacies of relevance and vacuity: it does not argue why the industry should be stopped, but instead proposes a method of stopping the industry. In these ways, the argument has a very weak rational core. The author has attempted to conceal these logical flaws with rhetorical devices including emotionally charged language and loaded descriptions. Ultimately, however, they have committed multiple fallacies and further undermined their claims. For these reasons, the argument should be

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