- Show that at least one of the premises is dubious.
- Show that the argument isn’t valid or strong.
- Show that the conclusion is false.
An example of this action would be like the following:
It’s useless to drive the freeway. The freeway is always busy. The fastest way to use the freeways is by using the carpool lane but you need two people at least in the car. Therefore, when driving only short distances use the side streets.
This argument can be refuting by pointing out that freeways are not always busy. The argument is not very strong because its premises and conclusion are weak. The conclusion itself is false. Because of all of these factors the argument can easily be refuted.
I personally like this topic, Refuting an Argument. This concept is used in the video game I play, Phoenix Wright. Basically what you do is listen to a testimony (like an argument) and find any part of it that is wrong, whether it is the premise, the argument is valid or strong or neither, and if the conclusion is incorrect. Your example is very good and definitely fits the concept of refuting an argument, so you did a good job at using it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your example though, even though it makes its point, it can be easily refuted. For the conclusion, sometimes side streets can be slow and worse than the freeway. I experienced driving a side street to get to a friends house which is 20 minutes away using side streets, and a lot less on the freeway. When I was driving on side streets, I experienced a car accident, which slowed down cars, and it took me a long time to get to my friend's house. So I can easily use my personal experiences to refute the conclusion.
Catalina,
ReplyDeleteI found your post really useful. I was a little confused before reading your post and was not fully sure what refuting an argument really was. your post however made it a lot clearer and I now understand it a lot better.
I also really like your example and found it accurate. It is true that it is really easy to refute the example you used. I personally believe that it is sometimes way longer to take side streets which shows that the freeway can be a lot faster. I really liked your example because it truly demonstrated what refuting an argument is.
Overall, great post.
Hey Catalina, I really liked your post. It had a lot of information and coincided with the book very well. I liked your description of the concept breaking it down into three steps and also telling the page number with made it easy to understand and find help learning the concept. Your example was really strong as well, demonstrating your knowledge of the concept and relating it to everyday life. The example of using traffic an everyday problem and common point of argument was well thought out and executed in a simple yet elegant matter. I really enjoyed your post from beginning to end.
ReplyDeleteYour example made a good point. I tend to usually underestimate freeways every time I drive. In that case, I sometimes take side streets. This is coming from a person that always takes the bus to school. It takes about 20 minutes to get to school from the bus so it is pretty fast. However, while I am riding the bus, I tend to see MANY cars in the freeway when we pass the bridge which is why I started to avoid freeways more often. But yes, you are right because freeways are not always full. Today, I went to SJSU and took the freeway because it was around 1 pm because there is usually never traffic at that time. However, in morning or evening hours, I get nervous about the freeway because there's usually more traffic which makes me take the side streets.
ReplyDelete