Complex Arguments for Analysis

1). Concerning 221 - 225 Complex Arguments for Analysis: Page 225 contains exercises on the Structure of Arguments.  Please choose one of the 5 exercises and complete the exercise in one post to your blog.  After you have completed the exercise, discuss whether or not this exercise was useful.

#1

Argument: (1) People do not like living next door to such a mess. (2) He never drives any of them. (3) They all look old and beat up and leak oil all over the place. (4) It is bad for the neighborhood, and it will decrease property value.

Conclusion: My neighbor should be forced to get rid of all the cars in his yard.

Additional premises needed? Yes.

Identify any subargument: Yes, (3) can be a subargument for (2). and (4) can be a subargument for (3).  But (1) should be placed after (4) to be a better structure.

Good argument? Almost

This was a very useful exercise.  Doing this exercise made me see how ineffective an argument can be without its subarguments.  We continue to make claims/arguments and compile multiple different claims/arguments that we believe support our side, but we have no substance or reasoning that backs up our claim to make it a good argument.  This argument can be stronger if the structure was a little better.  Looking at each claim and seeing the reasoning for one person to believe the claim before, it helps to see the reasoning by putting "because" between (2) and (3) as well as putting "therefore" between (3) and (4).  Then, the argument becomes stronger.  Finally, concluding the argument with the "My neighbor should be forced to get rid of all the cars in his yard" would create a much better structured argument.