MY Topic: You can pick any two topics of your choice for this.
Week 2, Prompt option #1: Present three Deductive Arguments
We have learned this week about deductive reasoning, including what it takes for an argument to be deductive. This discussion allows us to practice identifying and evaluating examples of deductive reasoning.
Prepare: To prepare to respond to this prompt, read the instructor’s guidance and Chapters 3 and 4 (the required portions) of the textbook, and view required media for this week. Contemplate what it means to for an argument to be deductive.
Reflect: Having studied the concept of deductive reasoning, find sources of reasoning, be it a detective novel, a political blog, a newspaper article, a TV broadcast, or some other source, and identify three arguments that you take to be deductive. If you have a hard time finding all three from media sources, you are able to create one or two of your own deductive arguments, on whatever topic you wish.
Write: Present each argument in standard from (with the premises listed above the conclusion). After you have presented each argument, provide an explanation of why the reasoning is or is not valid. If the reasoning is valid, explain how the truth of the conclusion follows from the premises; if the reasoning is not valid, show how it would be possible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false, and discuss what it might take to make the argument valid.
Example of required format foe this discussion below:
Argument 1:
Premise 1: Marijuana and prescription drugs can be an addictive substance.
Premise 2: Marijuana is illegal in most states.
Premise 3: Marijuana is not as addictive as some prescription drugs.
Premise 4: Having prescription drugs products is not illegal.
Conclusion: In states where the possession of marijuana is illegal the government should not enforce any penalties for having it.
The validity of this argument is true only if the premises of marijuana and prescription drugs are proven facts. If you can show that marijuana has a higher addiction rate than prescription drugs, it should be illegal in all states.
Argument 2:
Premise 1: Blue is a primary color
Premise 2: Yellow is a primary color
Premise 3: Red is a primary color
Conclusion: Since Blue, Yellow and Red are primary colors, all other colors come from them.
This conclusion of this argument is valid only if you are able to strip all colors down to their base color to verify at least two of the primary colors were used to create the different shades of the other colors.
