Evaluating Truth and Validity Exercises Paper Example

Evaluating Truth and Validity Exercise (Argument B)

In assessing the argument that "Low grades on a college transcript are a handicap in the job market, so teachers who grade harshly are doing students a disservice," I will make use of the four-step process provided as a guide for this assignment.

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Argument and Errors

The first part of the discussion is on the premise that the job market looks explicitly at absorbing only the students with high scores on their transcripts; while the second states that lenient grading, which would, in essence, create students with good grades, is better regardless of whether or not they deserve them. The prevailing notion, in which the error lies, is that the grading on one's transcript is the official yardstick on one's success or failure on the job market, yet the recent job market has become open to more of what one can do rather than the grades on the transcript (Ruggiero, 2012). Teachers who adhere to stringent rules regarding class attendance may grade a letter lower for an absence, whereas the more lenient ones may not use this as a yardstick for grading, especially those with proper reasons.

The assumption, therefore, is that talent, inert abilities, personality, and experience do not come into play when one is on the job market, and that absorption (or lack of it thereof) into the job market lies entirely in the transcript. This absolves the student of responsibility regarding the final result on his transcript and vests all power in the teacher (Harmon, 2015), which makes the argument one-sided, whereas in the actual sense learning is an exercise whose outcome depends on both the learner and the teacher.

Revised Statement

What has been considered as 'low' grades may to a large extent be a stumbling block on one's ability to have a favorable positioning in the job market, but it is not the final yardstick. Secondly, teachers generally look at some factors before awarding grades; therefore a student has a responsibility on his/her part to study and perform well to ensure the final grade reflects this hard work rather than expect the teacher to do this. The statement would be more defensible if it were changed to read "College transcripts with low grades could be a hindrance on employment opportunities, the teacher and student should, therefore, work together to produce good results."

Conclusion

By placing the responsibility of grades on the teacher makes this argument flawed, but it is still acceptable with a few changes in context, wording, and framing. It can be improved as stated above.

Evaluating Truth and Validity Exercise (Argument N)

The argument is that "Nuclear power is a threat to world peace. Nuclear energy stations generate nuclear power. So nuclear energy stations are a threat to world peace."

Argument and Errors

The above is clear with no hidden premises. Since it is in three parts, the best way to dissect is look at every part independently first, then as a whole. Insinuating that the world peace is threatened by nuclear power is untrue based on the assumption that everything to do with nuclear power involves explosives which are what threaten world peace. Greiner (2015) poses that world peace has no direct tie to nuclear power and that there exist many other factors that come in the way of world peace, including differences in ideologies, financial gain, and religious beliefs.

In actual sense, nuclear energy has a host of more peaceful uses both household and industrial, including but not limited to nuclear-powered transport vessels for land and space, agriculture (insect control), medicine (diagnosis) and carbon dating. The second statement "Nuclear energy stations generate nuclear power" is true because the work of these stations is to generate nuclear power, which is for the better of humanity until the element of explosive use comes into the picture (Holloway, 2018). In the same breath, the concluding statement "So nuclear energy stations are a threat to world peace" makes the second statement untrue because it is not the power stations that threaten world peace rather they become a threat only when they produce explosives and they are implemented around the globe.

Revised Statement

The revision should begin by first qualifying the opening statement to infuse 'production of explosives' instead of generalizing that all nuclear energy is a threat to world peace. Implemented effectively, nuclear power is appropriate. The second statement, though true, needs to be qualified to specify that not all nuclear energy stations produce explosives. The third statement should be revised too so that it reads "World peace is threatened by nuclear power stations producing explosives." The revised statement would, therefore, be better as "World peace is threatened by nuclear power utilized in explosives. Explosives are manufactured by some nuclear power stations. Therefore, world peace is threatened by some nuclear power stations manufacturing explosives."

Conclusion

With the proposed revisions on each of the three independent statements, the new argument is defensible and therefore, can stand as a sensible argument.

References

Greiner, E. (2015). Evaluating Truth and Validity Exercise. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/21918068/Evaluating_Truth_and_Validity_Exercise [Accessed 15 Jun. 2018].

Harmon, S. (2015). Evaluating Truth and Validity - Essay by Schenise. [online] Antiessays.com. Available at: https://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/Evaluating-Truth-And-Validity-693645.html [Accessed 15 Jun. 2018].

Holloway, W. (2018). Evaluating Truth and Validity Exercise. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/12430909/Evaluating_Truth_and_Validity_Exercise [Accessed 15 Jun. 2018].

Ruggiero, V.R. (2012). The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought (10th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.