1. A claim of _______ argues that certain conditions should exist.
a. fact
b. value
c. policy
d. warrant
2. Which of these mostly appeals to emotions?
a. logos
b. pathos
c. providing support
d. ethos
3. Which of these is NOT a good way to provide support for an argument?
a. statistics
b. expert opinions
c. evidence
d. generalizations
4. Ad hominem is a logical fallacy that...
a. attacks a view similar to the argument, but not the argument itself
b. appeals to the prejudices of the audience rather than give support for the argument
c. attacks the person making the argument, but not the argument itself
d. appeals to the emotions of the audience rather than giving support for the argument
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Irony In "A Modest Proposal"
Irony - It's like rain on your wedding day, it's a free ride when you've already paid.
Seriously though, Jonathan Swift uses irony throughout his whole essay "A Modest Proposal". I would be lying if I said the though of eating babies has never crossed my mind. Swift's ideas, if they were taken seriously would have actually aided the dire economic situation in Ireland at the time. A great example of irony that stood out to me is at the bottom of paragraph 17- "it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice (although indeed very unjustly)..." What Swift is referring to here is people speaking out about the murdering and cannibalism of 12-14 year old boys and girls. The irony comes in as the word "unjustly". Swift is saying that it is wrong for anyone to be against this practice, even if the country is starving. I think it is safe to say that this is irony and should not be taken seriously.
Seriously though, Jonathan Swift uses irony throughout his whole essay "A Modest Proposal". I would be lying if I said the though of eating babies has never crossed my mind. Swift's ideas, if they were taken seriously would have actually aided the dire economic situation in Ireland at the time. A great example of irony that stood out to me is at the bottom of paragraph 17- "it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice (although indeed very unjustly)..." What Swift is referring to here is people speaking out about the murdering and cannibalism of 12-14 year old boys and girls. The irony comes in as the word "unjustly". Swift is saying that it is wrong for anyone to be against this practice, even if the country is starving. I think it is safe to say that this is irony and should not be taken seriously.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Flynn Effect and the Sleeper Curve
The Flynn Effect basically explains the trend of rising intelligence over the past several decades. SAT scores have fluctuated over the years, but "fluid" intelligence has no doubt been on the rise.Although IQ scores have remained about the same, the tests have become increasingly difficult, so that the "average" score remains the same, when in reality to get an average score today would place you well above average decades ago. Johnson attributes this directly to the rising complexity of modern popular culture, the sleeper curve. I find it hard to disagree with this hypothesis for a few reasons, some being obvious, and others not so obvious.
So the average person today is smarter than the average person would have been decades ago, so what? This could be because of anything really, but if you relate this trend of rising IQ directly to the Sleeper Curve, the results go hand in hand. As popular culture becomes more intellectually demanding, people get smarter. Its illogical to think of it the other way around; several tests have proven that people who play PC and video games have much better problem solving skills and spacial recognition. An example of this would be the game Heavy Rain, for the PS3. In this game, you are required to follow the deep and intricate storyline of 4 unique characters, while simultaneously making snap decisions, each effecting what happens next in the storyline. Honestly, I didn't care for the game, but I cannot disagree that it requires a lot of complex problem solving, deep thought, and fast decision making. There is no doubt in my mind that someone who is able to play this game well would also score high on an IQ test.
Another obvious example of this is the television show Lost. Just following the plot(correctly, anyways) alone requires huge amounts of concentration, memory, and deciphering. The popularity of this show proves that people have these abilities and popular culture utilizes them Personally, I can't stand the show, but there is no doubt in my mind that if this show was introduced to the Average Joe of the 60's, he would be... lost.
Not only movies and video games tie these 2 effects together, but music as well. For example, most Tool albums subliminally encourage listeners to find out what the singers lyrics actually mean, and if you go even deeper, the way the music is played and the way the tracks are laid out quite often have significant meanings that are just waiting to be discovered by the listener.
You can argue that this is just coincidence and that the media has nothing to do with the rise of modern day intelligence, but my mind is made up. As someone who was raised on video games, and still plays them often, I am a firm believer that most games are not only intellectually stimulating, but also makes the people that play them more intelligent.
So the average person today is smarter than the average person would have been decades ago, so what? This could be because of anything really, but if you relate this trend of rising IQ directly to the Sleeper Curve, the results go hand in hand. As popular culture becomes more intellectually demanding, people get smarter. Its illogical to think of it the other way around; several tests have proven that people who play PC and video games have much better problem solving skills and spacial recognition. An example of this would be the game Heavy Rain, for the PS3. In this game, you are required to follow the deep and intricate storyline of 4 unique characters, while simultaneously making snap decisions, each effecting what happens next in the storyline. Honestly, I didn't care for the game, but I cannot disagree that it requires a lot of complex problem solving, deep thought, and fast decision making. There is no doubt in my mind that someone who is able to play this game well would also score high on an IQ test.
Another obvious example of this is the television show Lost. Just following the plot(correctly, anyways) alone requires huge amounts of concentration, memory, and deciphering. The popularity of this show proves that people have these abilities and popular culture utilizes them Personally, I can't stand the show, but there is no doubt in my mind that if this show was introduced to the Average Joe of the 60's, he would be... lost.
Not only movies and video games tie these 2 effects together, but music as well. For example, most Tool albums subliminally encourage listeners to find out what the singers lyrics actually mean, and if you go even deeper, the way the music is played and the way the tracks are laid out quite often have significant meanings that are just waiting to be discovered by the listener.
You can argue that this is just coincidence and that the media has nothing to do with the rise of modern day intelligence, but my mind is made up. As someone who was raised on video games, and still plays them often, I am a firm believer that most games are not only intellectually stimulating, but also makes the people that play them more intelligent.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Advertisement Examination
So, I decided to choose the Perrier ad to examine. This advertisement is set in what appears to be a "hot" club, both in terms of temperature and popularity. The claim in this ad is a claim of policy, stating that it is "cool" to drink Perrier brand bottled water, again both in terms of temperature and popularity. I came to this conclusion based on the support visually presented in this advertisement.
First, I will tackle the temperature issue. It's quite obvious that this place is hot. The heat is over exaggerated by showing the whole place melting, except for the Perrier, of course, because its cool. Another indication of the extreme heat is the girl on the couch reaching for the water; she seems sweaty. Next, the popularity. There is apparently quite a few good looking people here, and anyplace that has a disco ball is happening in my book. Right? The bottom line is the only beverage being served in this "cool" place is Perrier, and "hot" people are desperate to get their hands on it. Hell, this ad makes me want a bottle now.
There are warrants that are necessarily unstated because most people know that Perrier is a bottled water product, and that water generally quenches thirst and cools you down.
On a side note, its probably not a good idea to take LSD, then go to a club, unless you're drinking plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated, preferably Perrier. I think they could adopt a catchy slogan like: "Going on a trip? Take Perrier with you."
Friday, January 14, 2011
About Me, and Other Things
Hi, my name is Alan Brayton, or Omar, for this class I guess. I was born in Rhode Island almost 24 years ago, and have lived in Florida for quite some time, too much time actually... Both of my parents live in Florida, but not together, I also have one brother, and one sister who live here in Florida, and one sister who lives in California. I lived with her for a short period of time, but that's another story for another time.
There isn't a whole lot to know about me, except for my love of music. I am very passionate about music, old and new. I'd like to think I have a very ranged spectrum of music that I listen to, even though there are some genres(like country) that I just can't stomach! Oftentimes I find myself in heated debates with friends about why I don't like certain bands, or certain CD's. Sometimes, people will not want to talk about music with me because he or she thinks that I am getting angry when I argue, but that is not the case; I just simply disagree with their taste. Now, I'm not saying that music I don't like is bad; it is just not for me. I strongly believe everyone is entitled to an opinion, it's just unfortunate that most people don't have the same opinion as me. Just kidding.
I was living in California when the newest Tool CD, 10,000 days, came out. I couldn't stop talking about it. Personally, I didn't like the CD, but there was so much back story behind every track it was unbelievable. At the time, I had AIM, and would constantly talk about the CD with friends. Most of my friends liked the CD, so every chance I got, I would try to "talk them out of it". Long story short: I used to many capital letters, and people thought I was getting angry, so no one would talk to me about that particular CD anymore...
More information about Tool can be found at http://toolshed.down.net
Some of my favorite bands currently are: The Mars Volta, Energy, The Starlite Desperation, Thrice, Protest the Hero, Tsunami Bomb, The Action Design, and many more
There isn't a whole lot to know about me, except for my love of music. I am very passionate about music, old and new. I'd like to think I have a very ranged spectrum of music that I listen to, even though there are some genres(like country) that I just can't stomach! Oftentimes I find myself in heated debates with friends about why I don't like certain bands, or certain CD's. Sometimes, people will not want to talk about music with me because he or she thinks that I am getting angry when I argue, but that is not the case; I just simply disagree with their taste. Now, I'm not saying that music I don't like is bad; it is just not for me. I strongly believe everyone is entitled to an opinion, it's just unfortunate that most people don't have the same opinion as me. Just kidding.
I was living in California when the newest Tool CD, 10,000 days, came out. I couldn't stop talking about it. Personally, I didn't like the CD, but there was so much back story behind every track it was unbelievable. At the time, I had AIM, and would constantly talk about the CD with friends. Most of my friends liked the CD, so every chance I got, I would try to "talk them out of it". Long story short: I used to many capital letters, and people thought I was getting angry, so no one would talk to me about that particular CD anymore...
More information about Tool can be found at http://toolshed.down.net
Some of my favorite bands currently are: The Mars Volta, Energy, The Starlite Desperation, Thrice, Protest the Hero, Tsunami Bomb, The Action Design, and many more
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)