Hi there! When we talk, write,
or tell a story, we want to communicate
something. Sometimes the information
is pretty straightforward (as in 1 + 1 = 2), but a lot of times,
what we share is not so straightforward,
so we may need to argue the point. But when someone
presents an argument you don't simply accept it. Or... do you? Shouldn't you analyze it
to see if it's a sound argument? Stick around and let's talk about
analyzing the argument. [♪] [ANALYZING THE ARGUMENT - PART 1]
[♫] Hi! Welcome to Snap Language.
I'm Marc Franco. An argument (or a logical argument) is a set of ideas put together
to support a point. For example, this is
a very simple argument: "You like Japanese food, so you'll love this
sushi restaurant." The claim is that, because you like this,
you'll also like that. But is it a good argument? If understand really well
what an argument is, you can then build arguments
that support your ideas when you speak or write. And of course, when you
listen to or read someone's arguments,
you can also make sure that the arguments are well built
or convincing. [♪] To build an argument, you need
statements or claims. One of these claims is a conclusion; the other claims are premises (they provide evidence to
support your conclusion). Let's look at a very simple example: "Hawaii has hot weather
year round and beautiful beaches, so it is the best place
for a vacation." There are three claims
in this argument. The main point (or the conclusion)
is that Hawaii is the best place for a vacation. Two premises support this claim: (1) Hawaii has hot weather
year round, and (2) Hawaii has
beautiful beaches. Let's see how well
this argument works. What supports the point that
Hawaii is the best place for a vacation? One of the premises
(used as evidence) is that it's hot there year round. Well, if you like hot weather, yes...
but... what if you don't? And what if you'd rather
go skiing? ... Hmm... The other premise is that
Hawaii has beautiful beaches. How do you define "beautiful?"
Why beaches in Hawaii? Aren't there other places in
the world with "beautiful" beaches? What if you prefer the
mountains?... or the city? We are not trying prove or
disprove that Hawaii is a great place for a vacation. We're simply analyzing the
argument in this example. Even if you agree that Hawaii
is a great vacation spot, you may decide that this argument
doesn't make a good case for Hawaii. Let's look at another example.
See if you can identify the claims, and which is presented as the conclusion and which are the premises
that support that conclusion. "Cell phones pose serious risks
to their users. "Several studies have
shown a correlation between cell phone use
and the development of brain tumors (Hardell). "The International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC) classified cell phones as
a possible cause of cancer." (Pause the video now
if you need time to identify the claims.) [PAUSE] Premise 1 is here. Premise 2 is here. The main point (or the conclusion)
is here. But wait! Before you swear
never to use a cell phone again, let's analyze the argument. Look at the premises again,
and ask questions. Are there problems with
these premises? Is there sufficient evidence
to support the conclusion? Researchers have found a
correlation between cell phone use and the development of brain tumors. How good were these studies? A correlation does not mean that
cell phones were *the cause.* Are there studies maybe that
found no correlation? The second premise is that
they classified cell phones as a possible cause of cancer. A "possible" cause of cancer means
the evidence is not "definitive." Did they make that classification
based on the same studies mentioned in Premise 1? If so, this premise is
a bit redundant. Again, right or wrong, we're just analyzing
the argument. As a critical thinker, you must challenge
your assumptions and other people's
assumptions. Just because something is
in writing doesn't mean it's
a fact or "the truth." Even if a conclusion *is*
based on facts, it doesn't mean it's
a good conclusion. You may want to take
another look at our video about distinguishing
fact from opinion for more information on this. "Snap Language has videos
about reading, writing, and other topics. Knowing how to use
the language well helps you think critically. Therefore; you should
subscribe to this channel so you can get smarter
through language." Well, this argument is
totally true. Totally! Well, I'll see you in Part 2... For now, thanks for stopping by
and watching this video. I'm serious, though.
Snap Language rocks! [♪] Bye! [♫]
