Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts

Skill Builder - 1: Argument Structure

In each of the following questions, sentences or part of the sentences is numbered. Identify the
premises and the conclusion of the following arguments.

1. [1] Death is inevitable. So [2] life is meaningless.

2. [1] Machu Picchu is in Peru, and [2] Peru is in South America. So, [3] obviously Machu
Picchu is in South America.

3. [1] Smoking is unhealthy since [2] it can cause cancer. Furthermore, [3] it also increases
the chance of heart attacks and strokes.

4. [1] Divya cannot come to the party because [2] her scooter is broken. [3] Sajin also
cannot come because [4] he has to pick up his new hat. [5] I did not invite the other
teletubbies, so [6] no teletubby will come up to the party.

5. [1] This computer can think. So [2] it is conscious. Since [3] we should not kill any conscious
beings, [4] we should not switch it off.

6. [1. If Lala is here, then Po should be here as well.] [2. It follows that if Po is not here, Lala
is also absent,] and indeed [3. Po is not here.] So most likely [4. Lala is not around.]

7. [1. Marriage is becoming unfashionable.] [2. Divorce rate is at an all time high], and [3.
cohabitation is increasingly presented in a positive manner in the media]. [4. Movies are
full of characters who live together and unwilling to commit to a lifelong partnership]. [5.
Even newspaper columnists recommend people to live together for an extended period
before marriage in order to test their compatibility.]

8. [1. All university students should study critical thinking.] After all, [2. critical thinking is
necessary for surviving in the new economy] as [3. we need to adapt to rapid changes,
and make critical use of information in making decisions.] Also, [4. critical thinking can
help us reflect on our values and purposes in life.] Finally, [5. critical thinking helps us
improve our study skills.]

Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts Page 1

Skill Builder - 2: Facts vs Opinion
Identify whether the statement given below is a statement of fact(F) or a statement of opinion
(O)

1. It is time for educators to assume more responsibility for schools' unhealthy lunch menus.

2. Shivku said that the book Angels and Demons is better than The Da Vinci Code.

3. Delhi is not the capital of India

4. Influenced by Evangelical attitudes, art and literature of the nineteenth century were
expected to contribute to moral education. Running afoul of that expectation was the Pre-
Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), which invited the vituperations of reviewers of its day.
Being "retrogressive" in a progressive era may be a serious fault, according to Charles
Dickens' rhetoric about the art of John Millais; but being "fleshly" and "aesthetic" in an age
of moral earnestness may be worse, as D. G. Rossetti, another PRB ringleader, discovered
when poet and critic Robert Buchanan attacked him and his work in "The Fleshly School
of Poetry" (1871).

5. Detractors may take this opportunity to remind readers about how invasive English Ivy
can be. For what ivy enthusiast hasn't been cautioned about its ability to burrow holes,
fracture windows, and even deteriorate brick? But be warned. Oftentimes, this suggestion
is taken to the comical extreme. Naysayers take a strange pleasure in spinning yarns
about a particularly malevolent strand of ivy-one that slips in through the cracks on a hot
summer night, silently strangling homeowners in their sleep. Admittedly, this can be a
funny story to tell. But are we to believe such a tale? The intelligent gardener will quickly
dismiss such rubbish for what it is.

Skill Builder - 3: Identifying arguments

In the following passage, identify author's argument.
 Put the premises in parenthesis
 Underline the conclusion.
 Mark * against the main conclusion in the passage

Passage – 1

Gayatri: Maharana Pratap was courageous no doubt, but his forces lost to the forces of Emperor
Akbar the Great in the Battle of Haldighati. The king of a region such as Mewar and the Emperor
of most of the Indian sub-continent at the time cannot both be eligible for the title, 'the Great',
given the historical context.

Ranjini: Pratap never surrendered to Akbar in his lifetime despite Akbar sending several envoys
to his great rival with the offer of making him a Mughal ally. Pratap's defiance gave other Rajput

Page 2 Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts

rulers the courage to refuse alliance with Akbar. The victory in the Battle of Haldighati was
hollow victory for Akbar at best. Pratap's forces were outnumbered by Akbar's by far in the
battle, but Pratap escaped with his life and subsequently recovered much of the territory lost in
the battle. Maharana Pratap the Great received recognition of his greatness from none other
than Emperor Akbar the Great. The latter is known to have wept on hearing the news of his
rival's death.

Passage – 2

Last week, the government used the Drug Price Control Order, 2013, to increase the price
ceiling for 21 medicines by as much as 50% to ensure their availability in the market. This is a
welcome move because lower prices would have further limited the availability of these drugs,
some of which include those used for malaria, leprosy and allergy. The decision by the regulatory
authority - usually known to reduce prices of essential drugs - was prompted by repeated
petitions by the pharmaceutical industry, which pointed out that the increasing cost of imports
had made the production of some of these drugs unviable. Prices of bulk drugs and active
pharmaceutical ingredients have, in fact, gone up by up to 88%, and are largely imported.

This raises a basic question: Should the government control prices? The motivation for controlling
drug prices is not very difficult to understand. Unlike some of the developed countries, where
most of the population has insurance coverage or medical facilities are provided by the state,
medical expenses in India are borne by citizens, largely through out-of- pocket expenses.
Therefore, the state intervenes by keeping prices of some drugs in check to contain such
spending. However, the unintended consequence is that it affects the supply of drugs and can
potentially make citizens worse off. The risk of non-availability was an important reason for
raising prices. Although all pharmaceutical companies may not stop producing drugs with price
control, they may limit the supply. Further, the government usually dithers on price hike because
of political considerations so that it is not accused of favouring private companies.

Thus, the government should stay away from dictating prices and allow the market to function.
Competition in the marketplace will ensure that no company is able to make extraordinary
profits in basic and essential drugs. Since the state has limited resources, it should focus on
regulation, and ensure that the quality of drugs supplied in the market is not compromised at
any point.

Passage – 3

In 2000, George Bierson's "Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug", was published by the Massachusetts
News. Bierson concludes that marijuana is harmful in many ways, including brain damage,
damage to the reproductive system, and weakening of the immune system. He also attempts
to convince the reader that marijuana is a "gateway drug" that leads the users to venture into
much harder drugs. Based on my research and my own personal experience, I have found that
several of his points, when looked at logically, do not reach his conclusion.

Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts Page 3

One of Bierson's strongest supporting claims is of the physical harms of marijuana. He argues
that Heath's tests of the monkey's brain seemed to show conclusive evidence of brain damage;
however, he fails to mention that the tests were later discredited: the monkeys were given
extremely high doses, doses exponentially higher than that of the average recreational or medical
marijuana user, and the test's sample size was too small. More current studies of people who
are heavy marijuana smokers show no evidence of brain damage; in addition, the American
Medical Association has officially endorsed the decriminalization of marijuana. I find this to be
quite a bit more compelling than an outdated and poorly executed test. His claims of damage to
both the reproductive system and the immune system are again based on invalid experiments
of nearly lethal doses administered to mice and other animals, not humans. Moreover, several
studies of the effects of marijuana on the human reproductive and immune systems have failed
to demonstrate adverse effects.

Passage – 4

Evolutionary psychology takes as its starting point the uncontroversial assertion that the
anatomical and physiological features of the human brain have arisen as a result of adaptations
to the demands of the environment over the millennia. However, from this reasonable point of
departure, these psychologists make unreasonable extrapolations. They claim that the behaviour
of contemporary man (in almost all its aspects) is a reflection of features of the brain that
acquired their present characteristics during those earliest days of our species when early
man struggled to survive and multiply.

This unwarranted assumption leads, for example, to suggestions that modern sexual behaviour
is dictated by realities of Pleistocene life. These suggestions have a ready audience, and the
idea that Stone Age man is alive in our genome and dictating aspects of our behaviour has
gained ground in the popular imagination. The tabloids repeatedly run articles about "discoveries"
relating to "genes" for aggression, depression, repression, and anything for which we need a
readymade excuse. Such insistence on a genetic basis for behaviour negates the cultural
influences and the social realities that separate us from our ancestors.

Page 4 Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts

 Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts
Answers and Explanations
Skill Builder - 1: Argument Structure
5.
1.

2.

6.

3.

4.
7.

Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts Page 1

8.
Skill Builder - 2: Facts vs Opinion
1. O This raises a basic question: Should the government control
2. F (It is not my opinion but Shivku's. The statement is a
statement of fact since one can verify whether Shivku
holds that opinion or not)
3. F (it is false! But it can be verified)
4. The passage has statement of Facts. The author does
not state his or her opinion.
5. The passage above has statement of opinions & not
statement of facts.
Skill Builder - 3: Identifying arguments
Passage – 1
Gayatri: Maharana Pratap was courageous no doubt, but [his
forces lost to the forces of Emperor Akbar the Great in the
Battle of Haldighati]. The king of a region such as Mewar and
the Emperor of most of the Indian sub-continent at the time
cannot both be eligible for the title, 'the Great', given the historical
context.*
Ranjini: [Pratap never surrendered to Akbar in his lifetime
despite Akbar sending several envoys to his great rival with
the offer of making him a Mughal ally.] [Pratap's defiance gave
other Rajput rulers the courage to refuse alliance with Akbar.]
[The victory in the Battle of Haldighati was hollow victory for
Akbar at best.] [Pratap's forces were outnumbered by Akbar's
by far in the battle, but Pratap escaped with his life and
subsequently recovered much of the territory lost in the battle.]
[Maharana Pratap the Great received recognition of his
greatness from none other than Emperor Akbar the Great.]
[The latter is known to have wept on hearing the news of his
rival's death.]
Rajni is countering Gayatri's argument. The conclusion of Rajani
is implied - That Maharana Pratap deserves the title "the Great"
Page 2
Passage – 2
Last week, the government used the Drug Price Control Order,
2013, to increase the price ceiling for 21 medicines by as
much as 50% to ensure their availability in the market. This is a
welcome move because [lower prices would have further
limited the availability of these drugs, some of which include
those used for malaria, leprosy and allergy.] The decision by
the regulatory authority - usually known to reduce prices of
essential drugs - was prompted by repeated petitions by the
pharmaceutical industry, which pointed out that the increasing
cost of imports had made the production of some of these
drugs unviable. Prices of bulk drugs and active pharmaceutical
ingredients have, in fact, gone up by up to 88%, and are
largely imported.
prices? The motivation for controlling drug prices is not very
difficult to understand. Unlike some of the developed countries,
where most of the population has insurance coverage or
medical facilities are provided by the state, medical expenses
in India are borne by citizens, largely through out-of- pocket
expenses. Therefore, the state intervenes by keeping prices
of some drugs in check to contain such spending. However,
the unintended consequence is that it affects the supply of
drugs and can potentially make citizens worse off. [The risk of
non-availability was an important reason for raising prices.]
[Although all pharmaceutical companies may not stop producing
drugs with price control, they may limit the supply.] [Further,
the government usually dithers on price hike because of political
considerations so that it is not accused of favouring private
companies.]
Thus, * the government should stay away from dictating prices
and allow the market to function. [Competition in the marketplace
will ensure that no company is able to make extraordinary
profits in basic and essential drugs.] [Since the state has
limited resources, it should focus on regulation, and ensure
that the quality of drugs supplied in the market is not
compromised at any point.]
Passage – 3
In 2000, George Bierson's "Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug",
was publis hed by the Massachus etts News. Biers on
concludes that marijuana is harmful in many ways, including
brain damage, damage to the reproductive system, and
weakening of the immune system. He also attempts to convince
the reader that marijuana is a "gateway drug" that leads the
users to venture into much harder drugs. Based on my
research and my own personal experience, I have found that
several of his points, when looked at logically, do not reach his
conclusion.*
Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts
(The main point of the author is that Bierson's argument is
f lawed)
[One of Bierson's strongest supporting claims is of the physical
harms of marijuana. He argues that Heath's tests of the
monkey's brain seemed to show conclusive evidence of brain
damage; however, he fails to mention that the tests were later
discredited: the monkeys were given extremely high doses,
doses exponentially higher than that of the average recreational
or medical marijuana user, and the test's sample size was too
small. More current studies of people who are heavy marijuana
smokers show no evidence of brain damage; in addition, the
American Medical Association has officially endorsed the
decriminalization of marijuana. I find this to be quite a bit more
compelling than an outdated and poorly executed test. His
claims of damage to both the reproductive system and the
immune system are again based on invalid experiments of
nearly lethal doses administered to mice and other animals, not
humans. Moreover, several studies of the effects of marijuana
on the human reproductive and immune systems have failed to
demonstrate adverse effects.]
(In Para 2 the author gives evidences as to why Beirson's
argument is flawed)
Lesson 1: Arguments – Concepts
Passage – 4
Evolutionary psychology takes as its starting point the
uncontroversial assertion that the anatomical and physiological
features of the human brain have arisen as a res ult of
adaptations to the demands of the environment over the
millennia. However, from this reasonable point of departure,
these psychologists make unreasonable extrapolations*. They
claim that the behaviour of contemporary man (in almost all its
aspects) is a reflection of features of the brain that acquired
their present characteristics during those earliest days of our
species when early man struggled to survive and multiply.
(In this para, the author s ays that that evolutionary
psychologists makes an unreasonable claim. Then the author
states that claim)
[T his unwarranted assumption leads, f or example, to
suggestions that modern sexual behaviour is dictated by
realities of Pleistocene life. These suggestions have a ready
audience, and the idea that Stone Age man is alive in our
genome and dictating aspects of our behaviour has gained
ground in the popular imagination. The tabloids repeatedly run
articles about "discoveries" relating to "genes" for aggression,
depression, repression, and anything for which we need a
readymade excuse.] Such insistence on a genetic basis for
behaviour negates the cultural influences and the social realities
that separate us from our ancestors.
(In this para the author talks about the consequence of the
wrong claim)
Page 3