chapter 7

In chapter 7, one important concept being explained is how to refute an argument. Epstein gives three great ways on how to refute an argument: Show that at least of the premise that was given is doubtful, show that the argument is not strong or valid, and show that the conclusion they give is false. These are great concepts to know in order to disprove any argument. Disproving an argument is important to know in any situation. We have all gone through some type of a disagreement and will face many more in the future therefore knowing how to prove your point and voice your opinion it is vital to know how to refute any argument. For example when I ordered something online awhile ago, they shipped me an item I did not order. So I called the company and explained the situation to them.  Unfortunately the lady that helped me was rude and told me I must have ordered the item since it was shipped to me. However, I had a receipt which proved her conclusion wrong. 

Chapter 6

One concept I found extremely useful in chapter six was False Dilemmas. False dilemmas are when you misuse the “or” in a claim. In a false dilemma you are not including all the possibilities of the dilemma instead, you are only considering the implausible or false claim. There could be other alternatives yet they are not provided. It is important to avoid false dilemmas in arguments. Using false dilemmas shows that you have not considered all the other alternatives possible which makes for a bad argument. A good example of a false dilemma is when a child wants to go out to the mall and the mother asks why. The child says, “I could go to the mall and have fun or I could stay at home and do nothing”. This is a false dilemma because there are other alternatives other than the two the child said. I am sure there are things the child would be able to do at home yet they fail to recognize that. 

Euphemism and Dysphemism

One thing I found very interesting in the reading is in Chapter 9 section C called, What Did You Say? In this section they explain how changing the name of something can affect your writing tremendously. Euphemism is when a word makes something sounds better then a neutral name. Dysphemism is the exact opposite. It makes a word or phrase sounds more negative then the neutral name. Simple conversions like these however can change your writing and can improve it so you can make your writing go in the direction you want it to. I find this so useful. For example if you wanted something to be much more dramatic and worse then what it actually was, when describing a car accident you could use the word “crashed” instead of “hit”. Hit seems more natural however crashed gives the impression that it was tragic and terrifying. Simple alterations like these can change so much. 

Advertisement

I saw this advertisement as I was browsing the internet. It is advertising the website Groupon. It says “If you love saving money then you will love Groupon”. According to Criteria for accepting or rejecting Claims the most reliable source of information is our own experience. Well I have used Groupon before and purchased groupons in the past. So through my own experience I can say that this advertisement is true and I can accept the claim. When I used Groupon I saved approximately 50% of what I got. Even though the advertisement may seem random and out of place, I trusted my own experience with this so make a judgment. Now I can refer to other people as well about this website so they can use it as well and I am a reputable source.  So through my experience I can say that this advertisement is making an acceptable claim. 

Appeal to Emotion

Appealing to emotion seems to be powerful at times. The fallacy of appealing to emotion is simply if something is associated with positive feelings then it must be true and it is indeed desirable. However, if the premise is associated with negative feelings then the conclusion must be negative and bad. The emotion comes from the response of the conclusion which makes it so powerful.  As emotional human beings, I feel this fallacy is very effective in persuading people. This is a great marketing and advertising tactic. Speaking for myself, I know there are times I feel the need to purchase something because of the advertisement I saw and how it made me feel. For example, a while ago when the new Iphones came out there were television commercials showing how great the video quality and the feature of “face time” was.  Specifically I remember seeing a little girl on a video of the phone. So what I got out of it was “if you have the Iphone you will be able to stay connected at all times with family members”. It evoked my emotion therefore I bought the phone. However, I hardly ever use the feature. 

Communication

In chapter 4 in the Group Communication book by Dan O’ Hair and Mary o. Wiemann, they discuss a few concepts of communication in organization that I found very interesting. They give three different models of group organization each of which relates to me especially in the work field. I word in retail in the cashiering department. Therefore I have three different types of relationships: between superiors and subordinates, team leaders and team members, and organizational department. It explains that between superior and subordinates that the communication is primarily based on completing jobs that need to be done.  However, what I found more interesting is that the relationship between team leaders and team members is to communicate to work together and make decisions together. I was always under the impression that the lead at work was in charge and that is that. But this has opened my eyes to realize that it is important to communicate with them to make things improve in the work area. Lastly they explain that communication between organizations is key for business reasons. Since I am part of the cashiering department there are many other different departments I work with such as supplies, clothing, ect. I must communicate with them often in order to complete transactions correctly. 

Arguments

A valid argument is an argument that has premises which lead to a true and logical conclusion based of the premises. So if the premises are true the conclusions will absolutely be true as well. An everyday example of a valid argument would be:

If comm 41 class is not canceled today, then there will be a quiz.

Comm 41 was not canceled today.

So there was a quiz in class.

This is a valid argument because of the premises given, it is logical to conclude that there will be a quiz in class. The conclusion is true based off the premises that were given.

A strong argument is an argument that has all its premises to be true but the conclusion has the possibility to be false. The premises are true and support the conclusion even though the conclusion maybe false.  An example of a strong argument is:

Everyone that I have seen today has been wearing a coat or a jacket because it is cold outside. Therefore everyone is wearing a coat or a jacket.

This is a strong argument because the premise is true. The conclusion is logical; however, the conclusion can be false because there is a possibility that there are people who are not wearing a jacket or coat.

Claims

Subjective claims and objective claims are important to know to be able to analyze statements.  People use both claims all the time unknowingly. First of all a claim is an assertion. A subjective claim is a claim made with personal thoughts or feelings that control the claim. This cannot be proven true or false. A good example I used a subjective claim was just last week. I went to a San Francisco Giant’s baseball game. It was the first game in the series and the Giants were facing the Cincinnati Red’s. I am a very big Giant’s fan so I was very disappointed that the Giants were not playing so well and the Cincinnati Red’s were playing great. At the game due to my disappointment I made the statement, “The Cincinnati Red’s are the worst team ever”. I was very upset, my personal feelings are what made me say this statement. Some people may believe this claim but it cannot be proven to be true or false. 

An objective claim is a claim that is factual. An objective claim can be true or false and is not effective by personal feelings. A great example of an objective claim comes from the same day when I went to the Giant’s game. The announcer told the audience that the giants are the 2010 World Series Champions. That statement is indeed true with no questions asked. That makes it a objective claim.

Hello there

I am going onto my second year of college and spending the summer taking this course and getting settled into my brand new apartment. My experience involving communication would have to be taking comm 20 my first semester of college which was a very terrifying yet beneficial class. Making speeches in front of strangers taught me a lot. I also worked at Mcdonalds in high school taking orders in the drive thru which required a great deal of communication in order to get their food to perfection. I hope to learn how to communicate in groups by taking this course. I took an online class at a community college once which was very convenient and fun. It was similar to this course for the fact that I posted blogs and responded to my classmates blogs. I am looking forward to this summer and this course!