3. • Cause and effect
• In his article “What’s the point if we can’t have fun?”, David Graeber (2014) explains by evoking questions from his personal experience and
understanding of animals supposedly having fun . Existing science/prevailing wisdom assumes that the “Competition over resources, rational
calculation of advantage, and the gradual extinction of the weak [can be] taken to be the prime directives of the universe.” (Graeber, 2014)
Following this Darwinian way of thinking that has an economic understanding of the world, makes science unable to justify or explain a natural
animal practice that the researcher and his had friend observed. Graeber spent half an hour with his friend, professional gardener, June
Thunderstorm watching an inchworm dangling and spending its energy seemingly for no reason. (Graeber, 2014).For Darwinian science, this
behaviour would be regarded as connected to self-interest, and rationally calculated. Such a view would also be supported by Sociology, given its
debt to economics. (Graeber, 2014). According to Graeber, however, Darwinian science is unable to explain such animal behaviour because
there seemed to be no rational outcomes, leading to what he deems is an “an intellectual scandal” İn explaining animal play. (Graeber, 2014).
For this reason, this passage can be considered an opinion passage.
• Darwinian science says that any behaviour can be explained with rational calculation.
• The writer observed the behaviour of an animal that could not be explained with reference to darwinian rationality
• In Graeber animals do have fun and engage in pleasurable activity without calculating its outcome.
• This passage is about animal play. Darwinian science says that any behaviour can be explained with rational calculation. Graeber observed the
behaviour of an animal that could not be explained with reference to darwinian rationality. In Graeber’s view animals do have fun and engage in
pleasurable activity without calculating outcomes. For these reasons, the passage a cause-and-effect paragraph.
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5. •
• VENUE CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
• The Writing Center
•
• The Advanced Academic Writing Course will be held every week in
room HACE (this floor, go straight and right from the
elevator) and NOT in HACE 2.27.
•
• Instructor
