PLS2601 Assignment 2 Semester 2 2024 | Due 12 September 2024

PLS2601 Assignment 2 Semester 2 2024 | Due 12 September 2024. All questions answered. 1. Understanding Critical Reasoning: Answer True or False: 1.1 The outcome of this module is to enable students to identify, construct and evaluate arguments. (2) 1.2 Critical Reasoning promotes dogmatic reasoning. (2) 1.3 The term ‘Critical Reasoning’ can be used interchangeably with the terms ‘critical thinking’ and ‘clear thinking.’ (2) 1.4 Critical reasoning can also be understood as ‘informal logic’. (2) 1.5 Critical Reasoning does not enable thinkers to think critically and reflectively. (2) 2. Different kinds of writings and definitions: 2.1 Identify the type of writing in each of the paragraphs or statements. 2.1.1 Some people believe that even if you can get away with awful crimes on this earth and are not punished by the law or your fellow men, such acts are forbidden by God, who will punish you after death. So even when it seems to be in your interest to do such a thing it really isn't. Some people have even believed that if there is no God to back up moral requirements with the threat of punishment and the promise of reward, morality is an illusion (Thomas Nagel – What does it all mean? p. 62). (2) 2.1.2 Arrange each of the arguments below in the standard way and say whether they are valid. Try to keep track of how you decide whether each one is valid. (2) 2.2 What kind of definitions are expressed in the statements below. 2.2.1 ‘Aereomobile’ means a vehicle that is normally driven on the ground but that has the capability of flying through the air to avoid traffic congestion. (2) 2.2.2 The word ‘unicorn’ means an animal like a horse but having a single straight horn projecting from its forehead. (2) 3. Informal Fallacies: 3.1 Briefly describe each of the following fallacies: 3.1.1 Straw man argument (3) 3.1.2 Begging the question (3) 3.1.3 Hasty generalization (3) 3.2 What type of informal fallacy is found in each of the following paragraphs? 3.2.1 Child to parent: ‘Your argument that I should stop stealing sweets from the corner store is no good. You told me yourself just a week ago that you too stole sweets when you were a child. So, let me steal sweets as well.’ (2) 3.2.2 ‘Surely you welcome the opportunity to join our protective organisation. Think of all the money you will lose from broken windows, overturned trucks and damaged merchandise in the event of you not joining.’ (2) 3.2.3 We've all heard the argument that too much television is the reason our students can't read and write. Yet, many of today's TV shows are excellent. ‘Seinfeld’ explores important issues facing single people, ‘Mzansi Magic’ presents medical professionals in life and death situations and ‘Checkpoint’ exposes a great variety of scams and illegal practises. Today's TV is just great! (2) 4. Argument Evaluation: 1. Evaluate the following two arguments. 2. In your evaluation, state whether the argument is inductive or deductive, value or empirical, contains a fallacy or not (stipulate which fallacy if it contains one) and whether it is valid/invalid or sound/unsound or strong/weak if it is an Induction. 3. Present your responses on how you have evaluated the two arguments in the form of a table. The table is provided below after the two arguments: Argument 4.1 Most corporate lawyers are conservatives. Barbara Shane is a corporate lawyer. Therefore, Barbara Shane is probably a conservative. Argument 4.2 All animals are mortal. All humans are animals. Therefore, all humas are mortal. Table in which to provide your answers is here below. But you can also draw your own table. 5. Argument Maps/Diagrams: Create argument maps/argument diagrams of the arguments in 5.1, 5.2 & 5.3 below. But first see how we did it in the following Example: (a) Human beings are buried respectfully after they have died. (b) When they are sick, we do everything to save their lives. Therefore, (c) human beings are dignified creatures. [Tip: First show how you have formalized the argument (i.e show what the premises and conclusion/s are] Premise1: Human beings are buried respectfully after they have died (a) Premise2: we do everything to save their lives (b) Conclusion: Therefore, human beings are dignified creatures (c) Argument map/diagram a b c Be sure that you number the statements as they are labelled in the questions. 5.1 Because (1) the greatest mitochondrial variations occurred in African people, scientists concluded that (2) they (Africans) had the longest evolutionary history, indicating (3) a probable African origin for modern humans. (6 marks) 5.2 (1) This dichotomy between the ‘best’ and the ‘best black’ is not something manufactured by racists to denigrate the abilities of professionals who are not white. (2) On the contrary, it is reinforced from time to time by those students who demand that universities commit to hiring some preset number of minority faculty members, saying in effect ‘go out and hire the best blacks’. (3) And it is further reinforced by faculty members who see these demands as nothing more than claims for simple justice. (4 marks) 5.3 (1) Recent evidence suggests that minimum-wage hikes undermine the welfare-to-work transition. (2) Kevin Lang of Boston University found that low skill adults often were crowded out of the job market by teenagers and part time students after a minimum-wage increase, though adults have a greater need for income. (3) Peter Brendan of the University of Wisconsin reports that minimum-wage hikes result in lower work-force participation among welfare mothers. (4) This suggests that President Clinton’s proposal to raise the minimum wage undercuts his goal of ending welfare as we know it. (7 marks) TOTAL MARKS = 60