COURSE NAME: Critical Thinking for University Success - COURSERA

Assignment Course 3: Argument Analyzer

“Squatting should not be illegal.”

Introduction

Squatting is a situation in that homeless people try to find shelter, for example, a house, to
live and survive until they have enough requirements to have a normal life. They can live in
the backdoor or even on the house's roof, etc.
The argument in this article

“Squatting should not be illegal. In fact, it should be encouraged.”

Conclusion and premises

Conclusion 1: They find a house to protect themselves from insecurity, anxiety, and
depression.

- They move to another house to prevent family violence.

- People who are homeless are easier to have an illness or mental health.

Conclusion 2: Instead of caring for your property right, you should start caring more about
human rights.

- Homeless people won’t go to your house unless they try to steal your things. It
means that they need your help to find their way back to normal life.
- The rising house rent leads to many people becoming homeless.

Logical fallacies
1. Within 5 years, they only reported 112 cases of squatting, but in reality, it can be
more than 1000 cases. (The story is told in the US.)
2. 6 houses for each homeless person, but in reality, it should be a family per house
because of immigration, or other effects.

Arguer’s Claim & Evidence

Arguer said that it is safe & happy to live as a squatting, and that is from they
cooperate with the house owner properly, but it has a low rate to have a house who have a
lot of conflicts when homeless people live for a time.

Bias/Assumption

2
 In this article, the author refers to safety bias. For details, it is safe to live in another
house when they are homeless.

Type of argument used

Casual argument

Summary
In short, the arguer mentioned the homeless cases and that they need to find some
shelter to protect themself and have a stable life.

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