Repairing Arguments
Argument: Jake eats a lot of candy. His teeth are going to rot.
Analysis: Rotting teeth is the conclusion to Jake eating lots of candy. In this argument, we cant conclude that just because Jake eats a lot of candy that his teeth are going to rot. There are other factors that lead to rotting teeth besides candy. Things such as not brushing or flossing your teeth lead to rotting teeth. An ordinary person would believe this argument since many people don’t know the real facts about tooth decay. As an intern to a dentist, I can personally tell you that candy is not the only thing that contributes to rotten teeth. To repair this argument we could add more detail to the premise by saying, “ Jake eats a lot of candy and never brushes or flosses his teeth”. Adding that simple detail makes the argument stronger and the conclusion more valid. Since he doesn’t brush of floss his teeth, his teeth are going to rot without a question.
Hey:) I really liked your post because it was straight to the point. I usually like reading your posts because your explanations are concise and easy to understand. I agree that candy is not the only factor that rots teeth. Other factors as you stated such as not brushing one's teeth and flossing can cause teeth to rot. Also, you can prove candy may not be the cause of rotten teeth if a person eats a lot of sweets, but brushes and flosses their teeth right after eating such sugary items. If they do this, their teeth would not rot because there would be no substance to help the rotting. Good job on the post and I hope your internship is going well:)!
ReplyDelete