Slides for Day 16 in EWRT 2, Spr 18

1. CREM EWRT 2
Day 16
Reasoning Fallacies

2. NYT Evening Briefing Quiz
 1. What do you think is the most important news story of the week? Why? (Write at
least 3 sentences. Give some details.)
 2. What do you think is the SECOND most important news story of the week? Why is
it important? (Write at least 3 sentences. Give some details.)
 (Both stories should have been covered in the NYT Evening Briefing this week.)

3. Business / Participation
 We may need to discuss Paper 3, Part
2.
 Should be paying attention to my
feedback on Canvas.
 Finding the right types of articles.
 Journal 5 is due next Tuesday by 6 AM
on Canvas.
 Field trip to the Tech Museum next
Wednesday morning!
 Unnatural Disasters crew should
check-in briefly today.
 Some personnel changes.
 Participation for today:
 2 individual points (for saying
something in discussion).
 2 points for participating in the
group work for the logical
fallacies.

4. Once you have my sources…
What do you do with them?

5. Logical Fallacies
(Rhetorical tricks used to persuade)
 slippery slope: once you start down the slope…
 What happens when we legalize gay marriage?
 searching for the perfect solution: if you can’t completely solve a problem, why even start?
 Even if the US cuts carbon emissions, China won’t.
 appeal to popularity
 9 out of 10 students agree: summer break should be 6 months long.
 straw person: attacking a point of view that doesn’t exist.
 The NRA believes that every teacher should always be armed.
 false dilemma: either you agree with me or… something bad.
 The state either has to cut teacher pensions or go bankrupt.
 ad hominem: attacking the person instead of their argument/position.
 I can’t take your tax plan seriously--you’re cheating on your husband!
 appeal to questionable authority
 Kanye says climate change is a hoax.
 appeal to emotions: esp. fear, hope, anger, patriotism.
 red herring: diverting attention from the original topic by bringing up another issue.
 Homelessness is a serious issue, but we really need to be talking about tax reform.
 “whataboutism”: a reversal of accusation, arguing that an opponent is guilty of an offense just as egregious
or worse (but not refuting the original accusation).

6. Homework
 Unnatural Disasters crew check in
before you leave.
 Paper 3, Part 2 is due SUNDAY
morning at 8 AM.
 No discussion post for Monday!
 Journal 5 is due on Tuesday.
 Participation for today:
 2 individual points (for saying
something in discussion).
 2 points for participating in the group
work for the logical fallacies.