Standardising and diagramming arguments

1. Real-world arguments and non-arguments
   (a) Briefly describe two real-life arguments you have recently encountered—either in the
   media, or in conversation, or in your studies in other subjects. What was it that
   showed they were arguments? (2 x 1 marks)
   (b) Briefly describe a real-life explanation you have recently encountered—either in the
   media, or in conversation, or in your studies in other subjects. What was it that
   showed it was an explanation (and not something else)? (1 mark)

Standardising and diagramming arguments

1. First standardise (1 mark), and then diagram (1 mark), the following argument.
   Chimpanzees today are in danger of extinction; for with the spread of agriculture and forestry,
   their habitat and their lives are threatened, because their forests are cleared to make way for
   cultivation and their food trees are poisoned to make space for timber trees. Moreover, since
   chimps are susceptible to all the infectious diseases of man, wherever their populations are near
   new human settlements they are endangered by epidemics.
2. Standardise, and then diagram, two real-life arguments you have recently
   encountered—either in the media, or in conversation, or in your studies in other
   subjects. (2 x 1 mark)
   Argument Evaluation
3. Arguments from real life
   (a) Counter-considerations
   Briefly explain a real-life argument you have recently encountered—either in the
   media, or in conversation, or in your reading—that you think is subject to a serious
   counter-consideration. Explain the counter-consideration and its impact on the
   argument’s strength/weakness. (1 mark)
   (b) Fallacies
   Briefly explain two (2) real-life arguments you have recently encountered—either in
   the media, or in advertisements, or in conversation—that you think commit fallacies.
   In each case, (i) name the fallacy, (ii) explain how it is committed, and (iii) say how
   much you think the argument is weakened by the fallacy it commits. (2 X 1 mark)
4. Standardisation and ARG argument evaluation
   (a) First complete the partly completed standardisation below of the following argument.
   People who study history are wiser than those who do not. Studying history makes a
   person unlikely to repeat the mistakes of the past, and not repeating the mistakes of the
   past is a sign of wisdom. Since the primary aim of education is producing wisdom, all
   educational institutions should require the study of history.

Sample Solution