CATA 335 - McGaan

Practice Exercises 5 - ANSWERS

Label or create the grounds, claim and warrant for each of the following arguments. You may have to infer some parts of the argument. (Make your choice of warrant as general as you can for the example given.) Also label the type of reasoning at work (e.g. sign, cause, analogy, etc.) in the warrant you use.

1. [ gr.-The overthrow of the elected president, the police violence against protesters, and frequent political assassinations] indicate that [ cl. a nation has significant violations of human rights.]

w.-These acts are, by definition, violations of civil rights.             (definitional warrant)

2. [gr.-When the U.S. fails to take strong action against a dictatorship,] I conclude that [cl.-the U.S. is, in part, responsible for its continued existence.]

w.-If one fails to prevent an action you are partially responsible for the results. (definition or cause)

3. [cl.-There is little reason to believe that embargos against Iran will work] since, [gr.-in the case of sanctions against Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait, our other nations moved in to replace U.S. suppliers.]

w.-These cases are substantially alike in all important ways; thus, what's true for one will be true for the other. (analogy)

4. [cl.-The administration has no desire to take control of oil producing countries] as shown by

[gr.-statements of State Department officials.]

w.-State Department officials represent the administration, can be believed. They know. (authority)

5. If [gr.- a country's economy is damaged seriously enough by sanctions to make the government consider resigning,] then surely [cl.-the damage will have a very severe effect on the common people.] ( This a tough one!!)

w.-What effects the (economy as a) whole will effect all parts (of the economy. (cause)

Last updated 2/1/20007