Precise Generalities
Precise generalities are defined by using a number or percentage to make a claim or argument valid.
Example: 70% of children like to play outside. John is a child therefore he likes to play outside.
* In this example, the claim is not valid. There is a 30% possibility that John does not like to play outside since it is only stated that 70% of children like to play outside.
To make a claim or argument strong, you have to use a very high or very low percentage.
Example: 98% of Students at San Jose State University think school should be free.
*Using 98% eliminates the 2% of students that think school should be free sine the percentage is so small. With such a high percentage, the claim is viewed as strong and valid.
Example: 2% of students at San Jose State University think that school should be paid for.
*2% compared to 98% is a very small percentage. Using the numbers provided we can conclude that 98% of students think school should be free.
Hi Kirstie! I think we're the only ones that start posting on Mondays...Yay for being productive? haha
ReplyDeleteI wrote about this section too, but for the 3rd discussion question. The examples you used were sort of similar to mine, but not really. x] But I liked how to explained how "70%" isn't considered a valid claim. I failed to explain why it isn't, but you did. So awesome!
I can totally relate to your example of students wanting school to be free. I think I fall under that category too. My older cousin went to SJSU way back when, and he said that it was basically free during his time, and that the prices for tuition nowadays is ridiculously expensive and actually feels sorry for me. x]
Hey there Kirstie! I like your post. I did the vague generalities instead of the precise generalities because I thought it was a little more interesting. But I think precise generalities are pretty interesting as well and precise generalities in an argument is way better than vague generalities. I agree that higher numbers do make a claim stronger. I believe its more convincing if the percentage is above 90%. I guess that is why a lot of advertisement put 99% effective so that consumers will be convinced, cause I know I won’t buy something that is 85% effective. Smaller numbers are good sometimes if use it for thee opposing claim that you are trying to argue against. I like your example, as SJSU should be free.
ReplyDeleteHey Kristie, I liked your post because this post was a good example of what the book tried to represent as what a precise generality was and the effects of abusing it could be. Your example about the kids is representative of what the lesson was about because it shows how vague statistics can't always be accepted because it might be too general at times. For example, if an experimental medicine stated that it covered 70 percent of patients then this vague generalizations should really not be trusted. In order to better this precise generality, one could raise the percentage to about 90 percent and then the margin of error would decrease and it would make the statement much stronger.
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