PHIL. 131 HOMEWORK BRIEF BI-WEEKLY ESSAY SUBMISSION FORM

ARGUMENT EVALUATION (Defense or Attack)

Each week in which you are given passages to analyse syllogistically you are also asked to evaluate by further defending or attacking one of the arguments in the homework. This week the argument is number____ of Assignment #___. Use the following procedure:
1.)From your analysis forms find the assigned argument. In the boxes below write out the major, minor and conclusion completely (do not use A,B,C, but rather what they stand for). Make sure you include the article or quantifier(All, Some, Any, Every, The, etc.) and circle the type of proposition (A,I,E,O).
2. ) Dundon assumes that you have succeeded in your original analysis in interpreting the argument as valid (principle of charity) and therefore have set it up in a valid mood of the first or second figure. (See Handbook, p. 4 for meaning of 1st and 2nd figure and p. 6 for valid moods in those two figures. ). Therefore if you believe the premises are true you are compelled to accept the conclusion.
3.)Carefully read the premises to see if you understand them and if they convince you. Do the same for the conclusion.
4. ) If they convince you, then choose one premise and try to express in a paragraph or two why you think that premise is true. This is called a defense of the premise. You should use the author for help if you need it.
5.) If the answer is no, then you must not really believe both premises. So find the premise you most disagree with and give your reasons. Don't overlook what the author has said in defense of his/her premises. I will give you a low grade if you state objections clearly answered in the text.

All,The, (No)	subject	“is,are (not)”	predicate
(A)(I)(E)(O)				Major premise
(A)(I)(E)(O)				Minor premise
(A)(I)(E)(O)				Conclusion

Respond to the following by circling the correct words:
I (agree) (disagree) with this conclusion. Therefore I have chosen to (defend) (attack) the (major) (minor) premise. (over)

NOTE: Keep your essay to one or two paragraphs, 150 words maximum. If this form is not rumpled just put it in your printer so that your essay is printed on the blank space below. Otherwise staple your printed essay to this form. Handwritten essays which are illegible will not be graded. If your essay is not directed to your chosen premise, either attacking it or defending it, you will get at most a D. So it might be good to include the actual words of your chosen premises in the essay somewhere, maybe even as its title, with a question mark or phrased as a question if you are going to attack it.