Passage 1: The Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Passage 2: Letter to the Editor from Deseret News (Jan. 20, 2009)"Coke-fired plant bad idea" by Emily Buhrley, Provo
Yesterday my daughter said her school stayed inside at recess because of the air quality. When we have a winter inversion, my daughter starts to cough as soon as she goes outside in the morning. I've seen the gray haze over the valley, and when we have an inversion things can really get nasty. I want to keep as many good days as we can.
Consolidated Energy is trying to get a permit to build a petroleum coke-fired power plant in West Bountiful. The plant will add air pollution equivalent to 10,000 more cars on the road, as well as heavy metals that are not safe for human consumption. Even transporting the material here is a pollution hazard. Why should we bring in this dirty power source, when there are so many other options we could pursue?
Fallacy Assignments:Alyssa -- Begging the Question
Jacob -- Complex Question
Cara -- Equivocation
Jordan -- Hasty/Sweeping Generalization
Spencer -- False Analogy
Kristy -- Post hoc
Lance -- Slippery Slope
Russell -- Oversimplification
Steve -- Stacking the Deck
Sean -- Appeal to ignorance
Kyle -- Non sequitur
Anu -- False dilemma
Nicole -- Strawperson
David -- False Authority
Jose -- Poisoning the well
Aaron -- Ad populum
Scott -- Red herring
19 comments:
Fallacy: Appeal to ignorance
Original Sentence: The plant will add air pollution equivalent to 10,000 more cars on the road, as well as heavy metals that are not safe for human consumption.
(Already an example of this fallacy, but...)
Modified Sentence: The plant will add more air pollution than any other plant already located in the area.
Explanation: Probably an assumption; provides no evidence, data or comparisons.
Post-Hoc Fallacy:
"Even transporting the material here is a pollution hazard" and will make my daughter get sick.
The fallacy I have to add is a complex question (which is basically a loaded question). The last question in this paragraph is a good example of one, but I think another good question would be this: Is it worth my daughter's health to poison the air with these toxins, or is she too insignificant to matter in the great scheme of things?
I would add at the very end of the paper: "I know that if this plant is built, more people will die from lung disease. If it is not built than it will save lives and less people will get sick."
-False Authority
Fallacy: Begging the question
The coke-fired plant should not be allowed because it will cause more pollution, and pollution is bad for us.
Oversimplification can be found when you change this sentence: (I've seen the gray haze over the valley, and when we have an inversion things can really get nasty) into "The gray haze in the valley can cause nasty things."
Fallacy: Slippery Slope
The plant will add air pollution equivalent to 10,000 more cars on the road, as well as heavy metals that are not safe for human consumption. This increase in pollution will lead to a higher rate of lung cancer and sickness and eventually death.
False Dilemma
Would you rather get rid of this plant now before it is built, or risk the chance of your children having severe health problems for the rest of their lives?
Fallacy: Hasty/Sweeping Generalization
When we have a winter inversion, my daughter starts to cough as soon as she goes outside in the morning. This must mean she has the bronchitis.
False Analogy
If a coke-fired plant were allowed in provo they would be implemented everywhere and soon the world's air quality would be an enormous health hazard.
Fallacy: Red Herring
Original Sentence: When we have a winter inversion, my daughter starts to cough as soon as she goes outside in the morning.
New Sentence: "When we have...in the morning." Her athsma is continually getting worse and her doctor is still trying to figure out the cause.
Explaination: This addition to the sentence is just not really on topic, which is what the red herring fallacy is...avoiding or diverting from the real topic.
Stacking the deck:
Plus, it has been projected that if we add one more plant, cancer will rise by 98%. Do we want our children to all have cancer? What good will this plant do us anyway? None. We don't need it. We need healthier lives and clearer air!
Consolidated Energy, which supports stopping humanitarian efforts for countries where there have been natural disasters, is now trying to get a permit to build a petroleum coke-fired power plant in West Bountiful.
Fallacy: Poisoning the well
Passage 2
Why should we bring in this dirty power source that causes our children to suffer and destroys our already suffering environment when there are so many other options we could pursue?
Fallacy:Ad populum
At the end of the paragraph I would add a sentence along the lines of other organizations and scientist who agree and are supporting the change to help the air.
"The Against Air Pollution Organization, or the A.A.P.O. has stressed the need for plants such as this to stop construction immediately for the better welfare of the human population."
Add A Fallacy: Non Sequitur
Consolidated Energy is trying to get a permit to build a petroleum coke-fired power plant in West Bountiful as well as a park and nature preserve of more than one thousand acres for public use (non sequitur). The plant will add air pollution equivalent to 10,000 more cars on the road, as well as heavy metals that are not safe for human consumption.
Fallacy: Equivocation
What a wonderful thing it is for this power plant to subject us to such great air quality.
*cough* sarcasm *cough*
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