Logical Fallacy #3

A common logical fallacy is termed Ad Misericordiam, or an “appeal to emotion”. These appeals can be identified by direct pleas to human emotional responses such as fear, guilt, hate, and sympathy. This is arguably one of the most dangerous logical fallacies to fall victim to since it preys on the oftentimes simpler option—to merely feel rather than use of our logic and critical thinking skills. With a strictly emotional basis to an argument, the ability to make an informed decision that considers all possible data and views is nearly impossible. However, it is simple to get worked up over an issue based solely on the emotional weight the topic carries (say for example, the “right” to die or abortion campaigns) which can cloud judgment and decision-making capacity if not immediately recognized as a logical and rhetorical fallacy. It would seem that these rhetorical strategies seem, in many cases, to carry the most debate and controversy because of their very basis in emotion rather than in solidempirical evidence (at least in many cases).

Here is an example below:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/books/how_salinger_was_scarred_JhMzoy9ELrOiMw2w83UEQI

Critical Reasoning And Public Education

The main critical reasoning strategies that I emphasized in my essay were analyzing the facts and seeing the issue from the perspective of other people. With the issue of public education, it is important to interpret the statistics about who exactly benefits and who is harmed by the lack of education. Poor minorities are typically affected from public education, but wealthy are able to take advantage of the system. The purpose of public education should be to give everyone an equal shot, but wealthier minorities tend to have better grades and test scores than poor minorities. Rather than punishing certain groups and helping others, public education should be replaced by a plan to improve low-income schools. If all the elementary and high schools in the U.S. become more equal, then there will be no need for racial preferences in the college admission system. This will help to both eliminate complaints of reverse discrimination against Whites and Asians, while it will improve the educational situation for poor Blacks and Latinos.

Logical Fallacy #2: Michael Jordan

Appealing to celebrity is one of the most common forms of fallacious appeal to authority. Celebrity endorsement of products is so common that we hardly notice it or wonder why Michael Jordan is trying to sell us underwear. Moreover, in addition to products, celebrities often endorse political candidates, and during every presidential election year each candidate rounds up his own stable of famous supporters. In addition, celebrities publicly espouse every political, religious, and charitable cause, and some has-beens build second careers in the public eye as spokespeople for causes.

Public Education Woes

Public education in impoverished areas is a major problem for its residents. Many people living in these urban areas simply do not have the money to send their children to private schools and receive the best education possible. Public education in inner cities should provide children with the same opportunities regarding college acceptance and in general a quality education that will help them succeed in life.

What sparked my interest in this topic was that I received a public education my entire life. Thankfully I was able to defy all the odds against me and by working really hard, I got accepted into USC. During my childhood, I always wanted to receive a private education, but now I look back at it and I am completely satisfied because I had a blast with all of my classmates.

Logical Fallacy #1: Tag Body Spray

The commercials for Tag body spray contain a blatant and hilarious faulty cause-effect fallacy. The fallacy is if you wear Tag body spray, beautiful women will be very strongly attracted to you.  In one of the ads, a guy puts Tag on before picking up his date at her parent’s house.  When the girl’s mom answers the door and smells the boy, she becomes attracted to him and makes a pass at him.  In another commercial a female wrestler attacks a guy wearing Tag, and there is also a commercial where a guy is mobbed by chicks in a grocery store.  These commercials end with a warning that says something to the effect of the makers of Tag body spray cannot be held liable if any injuries occur while wearing Tag in the vicinity of female wrestler, etc.  If the argument of these commercials is you should buy Tag, then the effect of the fallacy on the argument is it says if you buy this product, you will get laid more.

Welcome To The D

The city of Detroit probably has the worst reputation in all of the United States. Detroit is known for crime, drugs, violence, and abandoned buildings. Currently, Detroit ranks as the 3^rd most dangerous city in the United States behind St. Louis and Camden, NJ. The reason behind the downfall of Detroit is largely due to the automotive industry. Detroit’s economy was primarily based on the success of the automotive industry, and ever since the Big 3 (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) became on the brink on bankruptcy, Detroit has greatly suffered. For this paper, I have researched the gentrification and current state of Detroit’s economy.

Even though the population of Detroit is declining every single year, the city of Detroit is making drastic changes to make it a better place to live. There have been many private investors such as Mike Ilitch (Owner of the Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons) to revitalize the downtown area. Mr. Ilitch has a vision to make Detroit a better place and that includes new sports arenas and the destruction of the abandoned buildings. Mike Ilitch and other private investors have been working with the local government to make improvements to their hometown. I have also lived in Detroit my entire life, and I am seeing these improvements everyday.

USC's Master Plan

USC’s University Park Master Plan sounds like a great idea to improve the surrounding community and the campus itself. USC is creating a healthier and better living environment for its students and for the current citizens who live near campus. There are many parts of the Master Plan that I think are great such as the plan that will maximize benefits, minimize harm and address issues of common concern (e.g., traffic, parking, housing, community health and safety), but I also think that USC should not change the community as a whole. What make USC so diverse and a great place to go to school is its surrounding community and the people living in it. In addition to the rebuilding of Jefferson Street, these new buildings will create jobs that can help the local economy.

The only thing that I would change to USC’s Master Plan is to increase the security of the surrounding neighborhood. An increase in security would be necessary especially if the community would be renovated into a “better” area. Besides the increase in security, I believe the Master Plan will make USC a better and more engaging place for students to live and learn.