Table of Contents
Get All Weeks Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments Coursera Quiz Answers
Quiz 1: Why Arguments Matter
Q1. All Letters to the Editor give arguments.
Q2. Arguments are explicit ways to formulate reasons.
ViewQ3. This course will be fun.
ViewQuiz 2: What Is an Argument?
Q1. Arguments are verbal fights.
ViewQ2. Every argument includes a conclusion.
ViewQ3. All arguments are made up of (or expressed in) language
ViewQ4. Every argument is intended to establish a conclusion that the audience did not believe before.
ViewQ5. Every argument succeeds in giving good reasons for its conclusion.
ViewQ6. Megafauna: n. very large animals.
ViewQ7. Reptiles include turtles, alligators, crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and the tuatara.
ViewQ8. World War II occurred after World War I occurred.
ViewQ9. World War II occurred because World War I occurred.
ViewQ10. The sides of this right triangle are 1 meter long, so its hypotenuse is 2 meters long.
ViewQuiz 3: What are Arguments Used For? Justification
Q1. We need to understand the purpose of an artifact in order to understand that artifact.
ViewQ2. Whether you succeed in persuading someone depends on what effect your argument has on that person.
ViewQ3. Whether you succeed in justifying a conclusion depends on what effect your argument has on the audience.
ViewQ4. Whenever you are trying to justify a conclusion, you are trying to persuade someone.
ViewQuiz 4: Strong Arguments Don’t Always Persuade Everyone
Q1. If your argument does not persuade your audience, it is no good.
ViewQ2. An argument that does not give any good reason to believe its conclusion can still persuade someone to believe its conclusion.
ViewQ3. Sometimes people cannot be persuaded by very strong arguments because they refuse to give up their beliefs.
ViewQ4. When people use arguments, they always intend to have some effect on other people.
ViewQ5. Can any argument persuade every person in the world?
ViewQuiz 5: What Else are Arguments Used For? Explanation
Q1. The goal of explanation is understanding.
ViewQ2. All explanations are given in the form of arguments.
ViewQ3. Whenever you predict that something will happen, you explain why it happens.
ViewQ4. The population of India explains why it won more medals than the United States in the 2012 Olympics.
ViewQ5. Why did he add more sugar? To make the cake sweeter.
ViewQ6. Why is the pillow so soft? Because it is filled with duck feathers.
ViewQ7. Why doesn’t the screwdriver work with the slotted screw? Because it is a Phillips screwdriver (with a cross-shaped end).
ViewQ8. Why did the tire on her car go flat? Because it was punctured by a nail.
ViewQuiz 6: What are Arguments Made Of? Language
Q1. The English language could use the word “death” to refer to life.
ViewQ2. I can make the word “baboon” in the public English language mean my sister’s friends simply by stipulating that I personally will use the word “baboon” to refer to my sister’s friends.
ViewQ3. People are always aware of the rules that they follow when they speak.
ViewQ4. People are never aware of the rules that they follow when they speak.
ViewQuiz 7: Meaning
Q1. Arguments are fallacious when they are spoken in heavy accents.
ViewQ2. The meaning of the phrase “my car” is the same as the object that is my car.
ViewQ3. We can describe the meaning of a word or sentence by specifying how it is used.
ViewQ4. To say “I am sorry” is to apologize to someone even if that person does not forgive you, so apologizing is
ViewQ5. To utter a series of words that are meaningful together is to perform
ViewQ6. To alert someone to a danger is to make that person aware of that danger, so alerting is
ViewQuiz 7: Linguistic Acts
Q1. The old man the ship.
ViewQ2. I feel as much like I did yesterday as I do today.
ViewQ3. The cotton clothing is made of grows in Mississippi.
ViewQ4. The square root of pine is tree.
ViewQuiz 8: Speech Acts
Q1. A verb fails the thereby test if there is any case in any circumstance where I say ‘I’ but I do not thereby
ViewQ2. Whenever a verb passes the thereby test (that is, whenever the verb fits into the blank in “If I say ‘I ’ in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby ”), the verb names a speech act.
ViewQ3. Concluding is a speech act.
ViewQ4. When I say, “I order you to leave” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby order you to leave.
ViewQ5. When I say, “I ordered you to leave yesterday” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby ordered you to leave yesterday.
ViewQ6. When I say, “My sister orders you to leave” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby order you to leave
View.
Q7. When I say, “I apologize for hurting you” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby apologize for hurting you.
ViewQ8. When I say, “I am sorry for hurting you” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby am sorry for hurting you.
ViewQ9. When I say, “I advise you to keep trying” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby advise you to keep trying.
ViewQ10. When I say, “I convince you to keep trying” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby convince you to keep trying.
ViewQ11. When I say, “I warn you of the danger” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby warn you of the danger.
ViewQ12. When I say, “I make you aware of the danger” in appropriate circumstances, then I thereby make you aware of the danger.
ViewQuiz 9: Conversational Acts
Q1. Verbs that name conversational acts pass the thereby test.
ViewQ2. Informing is a conversational act.
ViewQ3. A sentence can be true even when it conversationally implies something false.
ViewQ4. For the following pairs of verbs, which one names a conversational act?
ViewQ5. For the following pairs of verbs, which one names a conversational act?
ViewQ6. Be relevant.
ViewQ7. Don’t say too little or too much (to serve the shared purpose of conversation).
ViewQ8. Don’t say what you don’t believe or what you have no reason to believe.
ViewQ9. Be brief and orderly and not obscure or ambiguous.
ViewWeek 2: Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments Coursera Quiz Answers
Quiz 1: Argument Markers
Q1. Charles went bald because most men his age go bald.
ViewQ2. Charles went bald, and most men his age go bald.
ViewQ3. My roommate likes to ski, so I do, too.
ViewQ4. My roommate likes to ski, and so do I.
ViewQ5. I have been busy since Tuesday.
ViewQ6. I am busy, since my teacher assigned lots of homework.
ViewQ7. He apologized, so you should forgive him.
ViewQ8. In view of the fact that he apologized, you should forgive him.
ViewQ9. He apologized. Accordingly, you should forgive him.
ViewQ10. After he apologizes, you should forgive him.
ViewQ11.Seeing as he apologized, you should forgive him.
ViewQuiz 2: Standard Form
Q1. Indicate which of the standard forms best represents the argument for questions 1-6
Things are a lot quieter because Jesse James left town.
View1. Things are a lot quieter.
2. Jesse James left town.
Q2. Because Jesse James left town, things are a lot quieter.
View2.Things are a lot quieter.
Q3. The hour is up, so you must hand in your exams.
View2. The hour is up.
Q4. Other airlines will carry more passengers, for United Airlines is on strike.
View2. United Airlines is on strike.
Q5. Since Chicago is north of Washington, and Washington is north of Charleston, Chicago is north of Charleston.
View2.Washington is north of Charleston
3.Chicago is north of Washington.
Q6. Texas has a greater area than Topeka, and Topeka has a greater area than the Bronx Zoo. Thus, Texas has a greater area than the Bronx Zoo.
View2. Texas has a greater area than the Bronx Zoo.
3. Texas has a greater area than Topeka
Quiz 3: A Problem for Arguments
Q1. Indicate the main problem in each of the following arguments for questions 1 and 2
Ram asks Walter which team will win the basketball tournament, and Walter says, “Duke, and I can prove it: Duke is going to win, so Duke will win. Now, prove that I am wrong!”
ViewQ2. Ram asks Walter which team will win the basketball tournament, and Walter says, “Duke, and I can prove it: Duke will score more points than all of its opponents, so Duke will win.” Then Ram asks, “But how do you know that Duke will score more points than its opponents?” Walter answers, “I don’t know. I just hope so.”
ViewQuiz 4: Assuring
Q1. For each of the underlined words or phrases in the following sentences, indicate whether or not it is an assuring term.
I assure you that you can trust my sister.
ViewQ2. You certainly can trust my sister.
ViewQ3. Imagine that you want to go to a soccer game tonight, so you ask me whether the local team is playing a home game tonight. I respond, “I believe that they are playing a home game tonight.”
ViewQ4. I know that you can trust my sister.
ViewQ5. Only an idiot would deny that you can trust my sister.
ViewQuiz 5: Guarding
Q1. For each of the underlined words or phrases in the following sentences, indicate whether or not it is a guarding term.
Some people have raised questions about her program, so we should oppose it.
ViewQ2. Many people agree that her program won’t work, so we should oppose it.
ViewQ3. Her program will lead to many problems, so we should oppose it.
ViewQ4. Her program might lead to problems, so we should oppose it.
ViewQ5. I suspect that her program will lead to problems, so we should oppose it.
ViewQuiz 6: Discounting
Q1. For each of the underlined words or phrases in the following sentences, indicate whether or not it is a discounting term.
Although it is raining, I am going for a walk anyway.
ViewQ2. I am going for a walk even if it is raining.
ViewQ3. It is raining. Still, I am going for a walk.
ViewQ4. It is still raining, and I am going for a walk.
ViewQ5. Sure, I will get wet from walking in the rain. I will have fun, nevertheless, and I want to get some exercise.
ViewQuiz 7: Evaluation
Q1. Indicate whether the following underlined terms are positively evaluative (E+), negatively evaluative (E–), or not evaluative (N).
Janet is an excellent golfer.
ViewQ2. The band was playing very loudly.
ViewQ3. The band was playing too loudly.
ViewQ4. They turned the right way at the intersection.
ViewQ5. They mistakenly turned right at the intersection.
ViewQ6. They turned just before the other car.
ViewQ7. Their punishment was unjust.
ViewQuiz 8: Close Analysis (Part II)
Q1. Use the following labels for questions 1-10 to indicate the function of each of the bold words or phrases in this passage from “A Piece of “God’s Handiwork”, by Robert Redford (Paragraph 3).
The BLM says its hands are tied. Why? Because these lands were set aside subject to “valid existing rights,” and Conoco has a lease that gives it the right to drill. Sure Conoco has a lease—more than one, in fact —but those leases were originally issued without sufficient environmental study or public input. As a result, none of them conveyed a valid right to drill. What’s more, in deciding to issue a permit to drill now, the BLM did not conduct a full analysis of the environmental impacts of drilling in these incomparable lands, but instead determined there would be no significant environmental harm on the basis of an abbreviated review that didn’t even look at drilling on the other federal leases.
The BLM says its hands are tied.
ViewQ2. Because these lands were set aside subject to “valid existing rights,” and Conoco has a lease that gives it the right to drill.
ViewQ3. Sure Conoco has a lease—more than one, in fact —but those leases were originally issued without sufficient environmental study or public input.
ViewQ4. Sure Conoco has a lease—more than one, in fact —but those leases were originally issued without sufficient environmental study or public input.
ViewQ5. Sure Conoco has a lease—more than one, in fact —but those leases were originally issued without sufficient environmental study or public input.
View2.N = None of the above
Q6. As a result, none of them conveyed a valid right to drill. What’s more, in deciding to issue a permit to drill now, the BLM did not conduct a full analysis of the environmental impacts of drilling in these incomparable lands, but instead determined there would be no significant environmental harm on the basis of an abbreviated review that didn’t even look at drilling on the other federal leases.
View2. N = None of the above
Q7. What’s more, in deciding to issue a permit to drill now, the BLM did not conduct a full analysis of the environmental impacts of drilling in these incomparable lands, but instead determined there would be no significant environmental harm on the basis of an abbreviated review that didn’t even look at drilling on the other federal leases.
ViewQ8. What’s more, in deciding to issue a permit to drill now, the BLM did not conduct a full analysis of the environmental impacts of drilling in these incomparable lands, but instead determined there would be no significant environmental harm on the basis of an abbreviated review that didn’t even look at drilling on the other federal leases.
ViewQ9. What’s more, in deciding to issue a permit to drill now, the BLM did not conduct a full analysis of the environmental impacts of drilling in these incomparable lands, but instead determined there would be no significant environmental harm on the basis of an abbreviated review that didn’t even look at drilling on the other federal leases.
View2.N = None of the above
Q10. What’s more, in deciding to issue a permit to drill now, the BLM did not conduct a full analysis of the environmental impacts of drilling in these incomparable lands, but instead determined there would be no significant environmental harm on the basis of an abbreviated review that didn’t even look at drilling on the other federal leases.
ViewQuiz 9: More Close Analysis
Q1. Use the following labels for questions 1-10 to indicate the function of each of the bold words or phrases in this passage from “A Piece of “God’s Handiwork”, by Robert Redford (Paragraphs 6-8).What we’re talking about is, in the words of President Clinton, a small piece of “God’s handiwork.” Almost 4 1/2 million acres of irreplaceable red rock wilderness remain outside the monument. Let us at least protect what is within it. The many roadless areas within the monument should remain so—protected as wilderness. The monument’s designation means little if a pattern of exploitation is allowed to continue.Environmentalists—including the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Wilderness Society—appealed BLM’s decision to the Interior Department’s Board of Land Appeals. This appeal, however, was rejected earlier this month. This is a terrible mistake. We shouldn’t be drilling in our national monuments. Period. As President Clinton said when dedicating the new monument, “Sometimes progress is measured in mastering frontiers, but sometimes we must measure progress in protecting frontiers for our children and children to come.”
Allowing drilling to go forward in the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument would permanently stain what might otherwise have been a defining legacy of the Clinton presidency. Almost 4 1/2 million acres of irreplaceable red rock wilderness remain outside the monument.
ViewQ2. The many roadless areas within the monument should remain so—protected as wilderness.
View2.C = a conclusion marker
Q3. The many roadless areas within the monument should remain so—protected as wilderness.
ViewQ4. The monument’s designation means little if a pattern of exploitation is allowed to continue.
ViewQ5. This appeal, however, was rejected earlier this month.
ViewQ6. This is a terrible mistake.
ViewQ7. We shouldn’t be drilling in our national monuments.
ViewQ8. We shouldn’t be drilling in our national monuments. Period.
ViewQ9. As President Clinton said when dedicating the new monument, “Sometimes progress is measured in mastering frontiers, but sometimes we must measure progress in protecting frontiers for our children and children to come.”
ViewQ10. Allowing drilling to go forward in the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument would permanently stain what might otherwise have been a defining legacy of the Clinton presidency.
ViewWeek 3: Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments Coursera Quiz Answers
Quiz 1:Validity
Q1. Some valid arguments have true premises and a true conclusion.
ViewQ2. Some valid arguments have true premises and a false conclusion.
ViewQ3. Some valid arguments have false premises and a true conclusion.
ViewQ4. Some valid arguments have false premises and a false conclusion.
ViewQ5. Most professors agree that they are paid too little, so they are.
ViewQ6. Susan is smart and strong, so she is smart.
ViewQ7. Sara is either smart or strong, so she is smart.
ViewQ8. Washington is in the United States. I live in Washington. So I live in the United States.
ViewQ9. The state of Washington is in the United States. I live in the state of Washington. So I live in the United States.
ViewQ10. The state of Washington is in the United Kingdom. I live in the state of Washington. So I live in the United Kingdom.
ViewQ11. There is no largest six-digit number because six-digit numbers are numbers and there is no largest number.
ViewQuiz 2: Soundness (Part I)
Q1. Every argument with a true conclusion is sound.
ViewQ2. Every argument with a false conclusion is unsound.
ViewQ3. Every argument that is sound has a true conclusion.
ViewQ4. Every argument that is unsound has a false conclusion.
ViewQuiz 3: Soundness (Part II)
Q1. For questions 1-3. Assume that the following sentences are either true (T) or false (F) as indicated:
All my children are teenagers. (T)
All teenagers are students. (T)
All teenagers are my children. (F)
All my children are students. (T)
Using these assigned truth values, label each of the following arguments as (a) valid and sound, (b) valid but unsound, (c) invalid but sound, (d) invalid and unsound.
All my children are teenagers.
All teenagers are students.
∴ All my children are students.
ViewQ2. All my children are students.
All teenagers are students.
View∴ All my children are teenagers.
Q3. All teenagers are my children.
All my children are students.
∴ All teenagers are students.
ViewQuiz 4: Get Down to Basics
Q1. For questions 1-7, indicate whether the underlined words in the following sentences should be removed as excess verbiage when reconstructing the argument.
Philadelphia is rich in history, but it is not now the capital of the United States, so the United States Congress must meet somewhere else.
ViewQ2. Not everybody whom you invited is going to come to your party. Some of them won’t come. So this room should be big enough.
ViewQ3. I know that my wife is at home, since I just called her there and spoke to her. We talked about our dinner plans.
ViewQ4. Some students could not concentrate on the lecture, because they did not eat lunch before class.
ViewQ5. The most surprising news of all is that Johnson dropped out of the race because he thought his opponent was better qualified than he was for the office.
ViewQ6. The challenger in this election is likely to win, since experts agree that more women support him.
ViewQ7. Married people are happier, so marriage must be a good thing, or at least I think so.
ViewQuiz 5: Sharpen Edges
Q1. For questions 1-5, indicate whether or not the underlined premise can be broken up into the suggested parts.
James is on the chess and football teams. Football is a team sport. So James plays a team sport.
Can the first premise be broken up into (a) and (b)?
(a) James is on the chess team.
(b) James is on the football team.
(c) Football is a team sport.
∴ (d) James plays a team sport.
ViewQ2. Mary is either a junior or a senior, so she is almost ready to graduate.
Can this premise be broken up into (a) and (b)?
(a) Mary is a junior.
(b) Mary is a senior.
∴ (c) Mary is almost ready to graduate.
ViewQ3. Mercury is the only common metal that is liquid at room temperature, so a pound of mercury would be liquid in this room.
Can this premise be broken up into (a) and (b)?
(a) Mercury is the only common metal.
(b) Mercury is liquid at room temperature.
∴ (c) a pound of mercury would be liquid in this room.
ViewQ4. Since he won the lottery, he’s rich and lucky, so he’ll probably do well in the stock market, too, unless his luck runs out.
Can this conclusion be broken up into (c) and (d)?
(a) He won the lottery.
∴ (b) He’s rich and lucky.
(c) His luck will not run out.
∴ (d) He’ll probably do well in the stock market.
ViewQ5. Since many newly emerging nations do not have the capital resources that are necessary for sustained growth, they will continue to need help from industrial nations to avoid mass starvation.
Can this premise be broken up into (a) and (b)?
(a) Adequate capital resources are necessary for sustained growth.
(b) Many newly emerging nations do not have adequate capital resources.
∴ (c) Many newly emerging nations will continue to need help from industrial nations to avoid mass starvation.
ViewQuiz 6: Organize Parts
Q1. For each of the following arguments, indicate which of the following arrangements best represents its structure.
ARGUMENT: I know Pat can’t be a father, because she is not a male. So she can’t be a grandfather either.
View2. Pat can’t be a grandfather. (from 1-2)
Q2. Which kind of structure does the argument in Question 1 have
ViewQ3. ARGUMENT: Our team can’t win this Saturday, both because they are no good and also because they are not going to play this Saturday.
View2.Our team is not going to play this Saturday. (from 1)
3.Our team can’t win this Saturday. (from 2)
Q4. Which kind of structure does the argument in Question 3 have?
ViewQ5. ARGUMENT: Either Jack is a fool or Mary is a crook, because she ended up with all of his money.
View2.Either Jack is a fool or Mary is a crook. (from 1)
Q6. Which kind of structure does the argument in Question 5 have?
View2.None of the above
Q7. ARGUMENT: Gold is a metal, so it must conduct electricity, since all metals do.
View2.All metals conduct electricity. (from 1)
3.Gold must conduct electricity. (from 2)
Q8. Which kind of structure does the argument in Question 7 have?
ViewQuiz 7: Fill in Gaps
Q1. For each of the following arguments, indicate which of the following claims is the best candidate for a suppressed premise in that argument.
CONTEXT: You and Susan are working on a project together, and she is not pulling her weight.
ARGUMENT: Susan refuses to work on Sundays, which shows that she is lazy and inflexible.
ViewQ2. CONTEXT: You are trying to decide whether to visit a sick friend in the hospital.
ARGUMENT: You promised to visit her, so you should visit her.
ViewQ3. CONTEXT: We want to figure out whether Mildred is older than the other candidate for a job.
ARGUMENT: Mildred must be over forty-three, since she has a daughter who is thirty-six years old.
ViewQ4. CONTEXT: A boat sank, and authorities have been searching for survivors for over a week.
ARGUMENT: There must not be any survivors, since, if there were any, they would have been found by now.
ViewQ5. CONTEXT: You are listening to a lecture in a traditional college classroom, but one person in the audience looks older than the rest. Her name is Mary.
ARGUMENT: Mary can’t be a student, because she is a professor, and professors must already have degrees.
ViewQuiz 8: Conclude
Q1. If you DO find a reconstruction that is sound, then the conclusion of the argument that you reconstructed is:
ViewQ2. If you do NOT find a reconstruction that is sound, then the argument that you reconstructed:
ViewQ3. If you find a reconstruction that is not sound, then the argument that you reconstructed:
ViewQuiz 9: An Example of Reconstruction
Q1. For questions 1-4, each short passage is followed by possible reconstructions of the argument in that passage. Indicate which of the reconstructions best represents the argument in that passage.
His natural talents were not enough; he lost the match because he had not practiced sufficiently. You need either great natural talent or hard work to become a winner.
View2.He had not practiced sufficiently. (from 1)
3.He lost the match. (from 2)
Q2. I took lots of mathematics, so I know that 81 is not a prime number, because 81 is divisible by 3. Indeed, 81 = 3 to the fourth power. Any idiot knows that.
View2.81 is not a prime number. (from 1)
Q3. We really got ripped off by that security company. This burglar alarm won’t work unless we are lucky or the burglar uses the front door, so we can’t count on it. I think we need a new alarm.
View2.We can’t count on being lucky.
3.We can’t count on the burglar using the front doo
4.We can’t count on a burglar alarm that won’t work
5.We can’t count on this burglar alarm. (from 1-4)
6. This burglar alarm is the only one that we have.
7.We need a burglar alarm that we can count on.
8.We need a new burglar alarm. (from 5-7)
Q4. Joe is not a freshman, since he lives in a fraternity, and freshmen are not allowed to live in fraternities. He also can’t be a senior, since he has not declared a major. And he can’t be a junior, because I never met him before today, and I would have met him before now if he were a junior. So Joe must be a sophomore.
View2.Freshmen are not allowed to live in fraternities.
3.Joe is not a freshman.
4.Joe has not declared a major.
5.Joe is not a senior
6.I never met Joe before today.
7.If Joe were a junior, I would have met him before today.
8.Joe is not a junior.
9.Joe is a sophomore.
Week 4: Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments Coursera Quiz Answers
Quiz 1: Final Quiz
Q1. The goal of an argument is to abuse the audience.
ViewQ2. All arguments are made up of (or expressed in) language of some kind.
ViewQ3. Every argument has more than one premise.
ViewQ4. An argument that is spoken is no good if it is not spoken loudly enough.
ViewQ5.Arguments are never used for any purpose other than to justify or to explain their
Viewconclusions.
Q6. Language is arbitrary in some respects.
ViewQ7. The word “since” is always a premise marker.
ViewQ8. In the sentence “If I had children who had children who had children who had children who had children, then I would be a great-great-great-grandparent,” the phrase “If … then …” is an argument marker which indicates that the person who says this is arguing for the conclusion that I am a great-great-great-grandparent.
ViewQ9. The word “too” in “too small” introduces an evaluation.
ViewQ10. A _ term is used to weaken a claim in order to make it easier to defend against possible criticisms.
ViewQ11. A _ term can be either positive or negative.
ViewQ12. Indicate the best way to complete the following sentence.
An argument is sound (in the technical sense used in this course) when and only when:
ViewQ13. Classify the following sentences as N, A, V, or B. In assessing soundness, you may assume commonly known facts.
Mount Everest is taller than Mount Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is taller than every anthill.
Therefore, Mount Everest is taller than any anthill.
Q14. Classify the following sentence as N, A, V, or B. In assessing soundness, you may assume commonly known facts.
He is so strong that he can lift 100 kilograms.
ViewQ15. Using the following letters for Questions 15-26,
Viewindicate the main function of the term
or phrase that is CAPITALIZED, BOLDED, and UNDERLINED in the following passage.
More than one letter might be acceptable, but you must choose only one option
as the best.
From Steven Jay Gould: “The Panda’s Thumb”
… The message is paradoxical BUT profound. Orchids manufacture
their intricate devices from the common components of ordinary flowers, parts usually fitted for very different
functions. If God had designed a beautiful
machine to reflect his wisdom and power, surely he would not have used a collection of parts generally
fashioned for other purposes. Orchids were not made by an ideal engineer; they are jury-rigged
from a limited set of available components.
Thus, they must have evolved from ordinary flowers.
Thus the paradox and the common theme of this trilogy of essays: Our textbooks
like to illustrate evolution with examples of optimal design—nearly perfect mimicry of a dead leaf
by a butterfly or of a poisonous
species by a palatable relative. However,
ideal design is a lousy argument
for evolution, for it mimics the
postulated action of an omnipotent creator. Odd arrangements and funny
solutions are the proof of
evolution—paths that a sensible God would never tread but that a natural
process, constrained by history, follows perforce.
Q16. This passage is by John Russell:
“There never was a painter like Thomas Eakins, who was born in 1844, died in 1916…. It is not simply that in his hands painting became an exact science, so that if he paints two men rowing on a river, we can tell the month, day, and the hour that they passed UNDER a certain bridge. We admire Eakins for that, but we prize him above all for the new dimension of moral awareness that he brought to American painting.”
ViewQ17.This passage is by John Russell:
“There never was a painter like Thomas Eakins, who was born in 1844, died in
1916…. It is not simply that in his hands painting became an exact science, so that if he paints two men rowing
on a river, we can tell the month, day, and the hour that they passed under a
certain bridge. We admire Eakins for that, BUT
we prize him above all for the new dimension of moral awareness that he brought
to American painting.”
Q18. This passage is by
John Russell:
“There never was a painter like Thomas Eakins, who was born in 1844, died in
1916…. It is not simply that in his hands painting became an exact science, so that if he paints two men rowing
on a river, we can tell the month, day, and the hour that they passed under a
certain bridge. We admire Eakins for that, but we prize him above all FOR the new dimension of moral
awareness that he brought to American painting.”
Q19. From Steven Jay Gould: “The
Panda’s Thumb”
… The message is paradoxical but
profound. Orchids manufacture their intricate devices from the common
components of ordinary flowers, parts usually
fitted for very different functions. If God had designed a beautiful machine to reflect his
wisdom and power, surely he
would not have used a collection of parts generally fashioned for other
purposes. Orchids were not made by an IDEAL engineer; they are
jury-rigged from a limited set of available components.
Thus, they must have evolved from ordinary flowers.
Thus the paradox and the common theme of this trilogy of essays: Our textbooks
like to illustrate evolution with examples of optimal design—nearly perfect mimicry of a dead leaf
by a butterfly or of a poisonous
species by a palatable relative. However,
ideal design is a lousy argument
for evolution, for it mimics the
postulated action of an omnipotent creator. Odd arrangements and funny
solutions are the proof of
evolution—paths that a sensible God would never tread but that a natural
process, constrained by history, follows perforce.
Q20. From an advertisement for Equal Exchange Coffee (1997):
It may be a little early in the morning to bring this up, but if you buy coffee from large corporations, you are inadvertently maintaining the system which keeps small farmers poor while lining the pockets of rich corporations. By choosing Equal Exchange coffee, you CAN help to make a change. We believe in trading directly with small farming cooperatives at mutually agreed-upon prices with a fixed minimum rate. Then, should the coffee market decline, the farmers are still guaranteed a fair price. So have a cup of Equal Exchange Coffee and make a small farmer happy. Of course, your decision to buy Equal Exchange need not be completely altruistic. For we take as much pride in refining the taste of our gourmet coffees as we do in helping the farmers who produce them….
ViewQ21. This passage is by Paul Davies:
“There is little on the Moon to sustain human life. Mars, however, is a different story. Because of the planet’s relatively benign environment, it is theoretically able to support a permanent human presence. If provided with the right equipment, astronauts would have SOME chance of living there for years. A one-way trip to Mars need not mean a quick demise.”
ViewQ22. By Ben Selznik:
“The drinking age is not set by the federal government; it is set by the
states. Currently, each state has its law set at 21. However, this figure neither necessarily reflects research and
careful consideration nor appeals to constituents. Instead, it reflects the
fact that drinking age became tied to highway funds somewhere along the way.
Because of this, were a state to lower their drinking age, they would also have
to significantly raise taxes to offset the lost highway funds from the
government. This hand-tying is asinine. if the drinking age is a state DECISION, it should be made by states independently
of funds for highways. Before any progress can be made, lawmakers must sever
this illogical connection.”
Q23. This passage is by
Paul Davies:
“OBVIOUSLY this strategy carries significant risks in
addition to those faced by a conventional Mars mission. Major equipment failure
could leave the colony without enough power, oxygen or food. An accident might
kill or disable an astronaut who provided some vital expertise. A supply drop
might fail, condemning the colonists to starve in a very public way. Even if
nothing went wrong, the astronauts’ lives would certainly be shortened by the
harsh conditions….”
Q24. From an advertisement for Equal Exchange Coffee (1997):
It may be a little early in the morning to bring this up, but if you buy coffee from large corporations, you are inadvertently maintaining the system which keeps small farmers poor while lining the pockets of rich corporations. By choosing Equal Exchange coffee, you can help to make a change. We believe in trading directly with small farming cooperatives at mutually agreed-upon prices with a fixed minimum rate. Then, should the coffee market decline, the farmers are still guaranteed a fair price. So have a cup of Equal Exchange Coffee and make a small farmer happy. OF COURSE, your decision to buy Equal Exchange need not be completely altruistic. For we take as much pride in refining the taste of our gourmet coffees as we do in helping the farmers who produce them….
ViewQ25. By Ben Selznik:
“A fair portion of drinkers between the ages of 18 and 21 are at colleges where alcohol can be easily obtained.… [C]olleges know full well that underage drinking exists. Students know that they are drinking underage and therefore illegally. And yet, the game continues with colleges trying to make sure that no alcohol-related tragedies occur. This game isn’t the fault of colleges, nor is it the fault of students. Instead, it is the fault of our law, which classifies part of this college-age set as “underage” and the rest as “of age.” When it comes to colleges, our law OBVIOUSLY doesn’t reflect reality. It must therefore be changed.”
ViewQ26. From Steven Jay Gould: “The Panda’s Thumb”
… The message is paradoxical but profound. Orchids manufacture their intricate devices from the common components of ordinary flowers, parts usually fitted for very different functions. If God had designed a beautiful machine to reflect his wisdom and power, surely he would not have used a collection of parts generally fashioned for other purposes. Orchids were not made by an ideal engineer; they are jury-rigged from a limited set of available components. Thus, they must have evolved from ordinary flowers.
Thus the paradox and the common theme of this trilogy of essays: Our textbooks like to illustrate evolution with examples of optimal design—nearly perfect mimicry of a dead leaf by a butterfly or of a poisonous species by a palatable relative. However, ideal design is a lousy argument for evolution, for it mimics the postulated action of an omnipotent creator. Odd arrangements and funny solutions are the REASONS to believe in of evolution—paths that a sensible God would never tread but that a natural process, constrained by history, follows perforce.
ViewQ27. Which of the following sentences could be added as a suppressed premise to make this
argument valid?
All criminals have tattoos, so Gizelle is not a criminal.
ViewQ28. Which of the following sentences could
be added as a suppressed premise to make this argument valid?
Pigs cannot fly, so pigs are not birds.
Q29. Indicate which of the
proposed reconstructions best captures the italicized
argument in the following passages from Steven Jay Gould, “The Panda’s
Thumb”:
… The message is paradoxical but profound. Orchids manufacture
their intricate devices from the common components of ordinary flowers, parts usually fitted for very different
functions. If God had designed a beautiful
machine to reflect his wisdom and power, surely he would not have used a collection of parts generally
fashioned for other purposes. Orchids
were not made by an ideal
engineer; [since] they are jury-rigged from a limited set of available
components. Thus, they must have
evolved from ordinary flowers.
Thus the paradox and the common theme of this trilogy of essays: Our textbooks
like to illustrate evolution with examples of optimal design—nearly perfect mimicry of a dead leaf
by a butterfly or of a poisonous
species by a palatable relative. However,
ideal design is a lousy argument
for evolution, for it mimics the
postulated action of an omnipotent creator. Odd arrangements and funny
solutions are the proof of
evolution—paths that a sensible God would never tread but that a natural
process, constrained by history, follows perforce.
2.Organisms that were not made by an ideal engineer must have evolved from
3.Orchids must have evolved from ordinary flowers. (from 1-2)
4.Orchids are jury-rigged from a limited set of available components.
5.Organisms that are jury-rigged from a limited set of available components must have evolved from ordinary organisms of the same kind.
6. Orchids must have evolved from ordinary flowers. (from 4-5)
Q30. Indicate which of the
proposed reconstructions best represents the italicized argument in the following passage from an advertisement
for Equal Exchange Coffee:
It may be a little early in the morning to bring this up, but if you buy coffee from large
corporations, you are inadvertently maintaining the system which keeps
small farmers poor while lining the pockets of rich corporations. By choosing Equal Exchange coffee, you
can help to make a change. We
believe in trading directly with small farming cooperatives at mutually
agreed-upon prices with a fixed minimum rate. Then, should the coffee market
decline, the farmers are still guaranteed a fair price. So have
a cup of Equal Exchange Coffee and make a small farmer happy. Of course, your decision to buy Equal
Exchange need not be completely altruistic. For we take as much pride in refining the taste of our gourmet
coffees as we do in helping the
farmers who produce them….
2.Equal Exchange Coffee company takes great pride in helping the farmers who produce their gourmet coffees
3.Equal Exchange Coffee company takes great pride in refining the taste of their gourmet coffees. (from 1-2)
4.If Equal Exchange Coffee company takes great pride in refining the taste of their gourmet coffees, then their gourmet coffees will taste good.
5. Equal Exchange gourmet coffees will taste good. (from 3-4)
6.If Equal Exchange gourmet coffees will taste good, then you can make yourself happy by buying Equal Exchange gourmet coffees.
7.You can make yourself happy by buying Equal Exchange gourmet coffees. (from 5-6)
8.If you can make yourself happy by doing something, then your decision to do it need not be completely altruistic.
9.∴ (9) Your decision to buy Equal Exchange need not be completely altruistic. (from 7-8)
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