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The Influencers

We are influenced by the group, yet the group can be wrong. We are informed by the media, yet the media can be wrong.

Should we be CONFUSED? IMMOBILIZED? ANGRY?

We could, or we could become a healthy skeptic who ask questions before believing, and thinks before acting.

Underlying Assumptions and Point of View

Underlying assumptions are the truths that the arguer takes for granted.

1. The second amendment guarantees the right for people to own guns. There is an underlying assumption that if it is in the constitution, it must be right.

2. Uniforms take away students' ability to express themselves. There is an underlying assumption that students have a right to express themselves in school

3. Marijuana should be legalized; it is a natural substance, more natural than some of the food we eat. What's the underlying assumption?

Underlying assumptions quiz

1. Homosexuality is wrong because it is unnatural.

2. We should not give students failing grades because it might damage their self-confidence.

3. Cell phones should be allowed in school because everyone has one with them anyway.

Point of View: The point from which you view something influences your thoughts.

Point of View real life example: 2 out of 3 MHS students don't want to drink alcohol when hanging out with friends.

Precise Meaning

Words don't have any meaning by themselves, they simply carry meaning from one person to another.

Symbols: Words or objects used to represent ideas. For example, heart = love, skull and crossbones = death, balanced scales = justice. A flag can be a powerful symbol to many people.

Stereotypes: A fixed mental image of a person, place, idea, or event. Stereotypes allow us to function day to day in a complicated world, but never correspond exactly with reality.

Keep in mind two things: 1) Stereotypes are only what we think reality is. 2) Stereotypes oversimplify complex facts and ignore individual differences.

Appeals to Emotion: Clever use of vocabulary to influence your emotions.

Example: Suzanne Somers said the Affordable Care Act is a socialist Ponzi scheme.

Indefinite Numbers: Words used by speakers to disguise the fact that they don't have much information about a subject.

Look for words like "several," "many," "most," "commonly believed," "popular," "grew," etc.

"The damage caused by tropical cyclones has risen dramatically in the past century everywhere it has been assessed" (Sobel).

"In the U.S., dollar losses from our hurricanes have exploded. Large numbers of American casualties, though, have become rare, despite big increases in the numbers of potential victims along the coasts" (Sobel).

Everyday Illogic

A logical fallacy is a mistake in reasoning.

Sometimes the mistake is accidental; other times a source is deliberately trying to mislead you.

There are many different kinds of

fallacies - these are just a few

common ones.

Post hoc: Part of the Latin phrase "Post hoc ergo propter hoc," which means, "After this, therefore, because of this." It is a flaw to think that if one event follows another event, the first event caused the second one.

Examples: Most superstitions are the result of the post hoc fallacy. Attributing events as the result of answered prayers is an example as well.

The "gateway drug" theory relies heavily on this fallacy. Typically, it is noted that out of a sample of heavy drug users, over 95% of them started out using marijuana (or alcohol). The same claim could be made about bread or water. A less fallacious case for marijuana as a gateway drug would be citing the percentage of marijuana smokers who progress to harder drugs.

Concurrency: It is a fallacy to assume that because two events take place at the same time, one is related to the other. Almost the same as post hoc.

Post Hoc/Concurrency quiz: which is which?

1. I didn't take my umbrella with me, so it rained.

2. You forgot to water the plant, so it died.

3. The big cities of America are decaying because so many people are moving to the suburbs.

4. Most juvenile delinquents smoke cigarettes - stop them from smoking, and you'll cut down on crime.

5. If Austin Peterson was in town when the vandalism occurred, we've got our man.

Wholes and Parts: A common mistake in thinking is to say that what is true of a whole is also true of any one of its parts, or what it true of a part is also true of the whole.

Examples:

Some people abuse government assistance, so the whole system must be shut down.

Some gun owners are extremist, so they all must be.

My classroom is loud; Kaitlyn is in my classroom, she must be loud.

Poor analogies: Comparisons between things. The danger of analogies is that two events or people are never the same, so all analogies are really imperfect analogies.

Examples:

School is a student's job; they should treated as employees, complete with pay, time off, and a flexible schedule.

Alcohol and tobacco are legal drugs; marijuana should be legal as well.

Democracy does not work in a family. Parents should have the ultimate say because they are wiser and their children do not know what is best for themselves. Similarly the best form of government for a society is not a democractic one but one where the leaders are more like parents.

False Issues

The following fallacies divert your attention from the real issue.

Leading questions and statements: lead you to conclusions that aren't spelled out and that aren't necessarily true.

Ad hominem: Latin for "to the man." Judging an idea on the basis of who said it rather than the idea's own merits (both good merits and bad).

Either-or: Forcing you to make a choice between the speaker's alternative and some undesirable alternative. It may not be necessary to choose either, or it may be possible to choose both.

Many political issues are turned into either-or issues; perhaps this is a big part of our problem?

Gun Control

Health Care

Taxes

Immigration

Government Assistance

Straw Man: When one person ignores another person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.

Very common fallacy:

Pro-choice: These people support the murdering of children.

Pro-legalization: These people are drug users.

Pro-gun control: These people want to ban all guns.

Red Herring: An irrelevant topic is introduced to draw attention away from the original issue.

"Children are starving all over the world; eat your dinner."

Statistics

Sampling: A technique for finding out about a whole by investigating a few of the parts.

Three things make a sample accurate:

1. Size: The larger the sample, the better. Find out how many people were surveyed.

2. Representativeness: The sample must represent the entire population.

3. Questions/Questioner: The question must be clear, and the image of the questioner can make a difference.

Short Term Statistics: These describe a short-term trend, but are sometimes used to make a long-term claim.

Rates and Total Numbers: Rate is how frequently something happens, total numbers is how many have happened overall.

In 1926, 23,000 people died in auto accidents. In 2003, 43,000 people died.

However, the fatality rate (deaths per 100,000 people) was 16% in 1926 and 1.5% in 2003.

Averages: Either the middle number or the mathematical average. Either way, broad judgements can be made using a number that doesn't apply to everyone.

"Teachers make, on average, $53,000 dollars a year! What do you have to complain about!"

Gross Statistics: Total amounts. There is a danger that people will confuse gross statistics with individual characteristics.

60% of marriages for couples between the ages of 20-25 end in divorce.

86% of high school students agree that most students do cheat at some point.

Graphs: Can aid understanding, can also misrepresent the truth.

Statistics are tricky. Although they can give valuable information, they can just as easily confuse people with misinformation.

The Elusive Truth

based on the book by Philip Roden

Time: The time you are living.

Expectations: What you expect to happen.

Place: Where you are.

Values: What we believe to be right.

Role: Who you are.

The Way out

Where is the middle ground?

Euphemism: A nice way of saying something unpleasant, or vice versa, and extreme way of saying something ordinary. Jargon: Using "big" words to make something seem more important.

Sometimes justified to protect people's feelings, but often used to cover up the truth. Look for them in your opponent's definition of terms.

Examples: "Assisted suicide" being called "death with dignity."

What words are used in the abortion debate?

Stereotypes List

suburban housewives

violinists

ministers

factory workers

politicians

welfare recipients

used-car salesmen

old women

hunters

football players

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