Example argument: Babies cannot talk. As the result, they cried when they feel uncomfortable. So when a baby cried, he is uncomfortable.
Analysis: The premises of this argument is plausible. Babies cannot talk, so the only way they can communicate and get adults' attention is by yelling or crying. So, it is possible that the baby feel uncomfortable and need to be taken care of by the adults. Are the premises more plausible than the conclusion? Can we think of other reasons why the baby will cry? The baby can cry because of the favorite toy got taken away or when the parents leave the baby with the care taker. Since the babies cannot talk at all, adults cannot just assume that the babies cry because they feel uncomfortable. The premise does not say that the babies only cry when they feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the babies can cry when they feel sad, upset, hungry, or even frustration. So the argument is week, which make a bad argument.
I definitely agree with your analysis of babies and the reason(s) for their crying. What else can they do to get attention? All they can do is cry but crying can mean many different things. Maybe they want to eat or they just want to be held. To say that a baby cries due to being uncomfortable is one-sided. There is no truth to it in all cases, though it may seem like a valid reason for a baby to cry about. It is a bad argument because there is no concrete evidence to prove its validity 100%. Great example!
ReplyDeleteI can really see where your idea is going and I too agree on your reasons of why a baby would cry when he or she is uncomfortable. I also like how you gave so much reasons to why a baby would cry in the first place. It may be due to as you said, "sad, upset, hungry, or even frustration". This gives a lot of support to your argument making it a bad argument. Therefore, we can't conclude that because a baby is crying that he or she is uncomfortable. I also like how you used a baby as an example as to other things. It was different and I enjoyed reading it.
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