arg lecture16
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
1/13
Techniques of Argumentation(Lecture 16: Reasons, opinions, and authority)
1/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
2/13
When claims conflict
Aristotle: Opposite assertions cannot be true at the sametime
Law of Non-Contradiction: No proposition may besimultaneously true and false.
When faced with the conflicting claims pand Not-phowought one proceed?
Weigh the evidence and reasons supporting the claims
It is rational to believe a proposition only if there is goodreason to.
2/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
3/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
4/13
Thats just your opinion
What is an opinion?
Plato distinguished doxa from episteme Belief and Knowledge
Certain beliefs amount to knowledge beliefs that are true beliefs that are based on good reasons (justification)
An opinion is a belief they are either true or false they are either based on good reasons or not
4/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
5/13
Opinions and entitlements
Everyones entitled to their own opinion entitled to think whatever you like entitled to think whatever you like free of criticism entitled to have your views taken seriously
Youre rationally entitled to believe only what there isgood reason to believe
Many opinions are not supported by the evidence; and
many are false All opinions were not created equal!
5/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
6/13
A matter of opinion
Thats a matter of opinion opinions differ on the matter many different opinions on the issue there is no fact of the matter
Licorice is tasty Its tasty to you but not to me You like it but I dont The issue is entirely subjective
Cant really disagree and argue over such issues
Dont confuse reason governed opinions with arationalsubjective tastes
6/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
7/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
8/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
9/13
Appeal to authority
Appeals to authority can go wrong
Just because someone is a expert in one subject it doesntmake them an expert on every subject.
Einstein advocated for a vegetarian diet A PhD in Mathematics writes a self-help book The pope on evolution
Just because someone is well-known and on TV it doesntmake them an authority
Tom Cruise on psychiatry Celebrity endorsements of politicians
Religious, cultural, and social leaders often haveleaderships roles, but this authority should not be
confused with general expertise9/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
10/13
Authority and the Web
10/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
11/1311/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
12/13
Web sources
Authority
Who wrote it? What are their credentials?
Purpose
Why did they write it? What standpoint are they pushing?
Bias
What biases might the author have? What conflicts of interest? Who funds the website?
Support
Does the author provide good reasons? Cite credible sources?
12/13
-
8/9/2019 Arg Lecture16
13/13
The whole problem with the world is that fools andfanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser
people so full of doubts -(Bertrand Russell)
13/13