Entry 4_Pham Thi Nga

Entry 4:

ITEM 1:

 

Analysis:

The Doctor claimed that there are only two choices, one is to exercise one hour a day and the other is to be dead 24 hours a day. In other words, if the patient does not exercise one hour a day, he will die 24 hours a day. In fact, in order to be healthy (or alive), the patient can find many ways other than exercising.

->Fallacy of presumption: false dilemma

ITEM 2:

Does Morality require God?

One argument often used by Christians trying to prove the existence of their God is as follows: If God does not exist then there are no objective moral values. There are objective moral values. Therefore, God exists.

Analysis:

There is a fallacy of relevance here:

If there is no God, then there are no objective moral values.

There are objective moral values.

Therefore, God exists

So the structure is:

If A, then B

Not B

Therefore not A

This is a valid argument, yet unsounded. In this argument, the existence of God is considered true because if people did not accept that fact, then there would be a negative consequence. The consequence in this case is that without god, objective moral rules does not exist. However, only Christians who make this argument believe that objective moral rules are created by God and therefore are nonexistent without God. As a result, this consequence cannot be used to prove the truth of the argument since it is only related to personal values rather than the truth or falsity.

-->Fallacy of relevance: Appeal to consequences of belief.

ITEM 3:

“Abby Richter: I'm sorry, but Jack Magnun will no longer be able to do 'The Ugly Truth', which should really come as no surprise because men are completely unreliable. Take Mike Chadway, for instance. He up and quit the show, without so much as a word. You think you know what men are going to do. You think you know what men want to do, but when it comes right down to that moment where they need to step up and, I don't know, make a move - they chicken out.

Mike: Oh! I am all over this.

Abby Richter: The big strong brave men, that we've all been reading about in novels and watching in movies since we've been nine years old, - -that's a fallacy. They don't exist. Men are not strong. Men are not brave. Men, are afraid. Even if they have a moment in a hotel elevator and it's totally romantic and full of potential, men are incapable of copping to it because, why? Men are weak.”

Evaluation: Content Fallacy: Fallacy of presumption: Hasty Generalization: What is true for a member is true for the whole group ( false premise)

Analysis: From her own experience of one man’s behavior – Mike Chadway - in a specific situation, Abby Richter assumes that all men are not reliable. One man cannot represent all men in this world to be judged.

 Source: Quoted from “The Ugly Truth” the movie.

1) http://mysillylife.net/wp-content/uploads/what-fits-your-busy-schedule-better.jpg

2) http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/MoralityAndGod.htm

3) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1142988/quotes