Today we will discuss a correspondingly simple and easy ARGUMENT: NO.143
The context of this argument is related to the rate of unemployment and the staff reduction. In the background of economic crisis, I believe it would be an interesting topic for us to ponder, and maybe, some of you could discover an effective approach to solve this persistent social problem by penetrating and insightful thought.
NO TIME NO WASTE, LET'S GO.
TOPIC: ARGUMENT143 - The following appeared as a letter to the editor of a national newspaper.
Your recent article on corporate downsizing* in the United States is misleading. The article gives the mistaken impression that many competent workers who lost jobs as a result of downsizing face serious economic hardship, often for years, before finding other suitable employment. But this impression is contradicted by a recent report on the United States economy, which found that since 1992 far more jobs have been created than have been eliminated. The report also demonstrates that many of those who lost their jobs have found new employment. Two-thirds of the newly created jobs have been in industries that tend to pay above-average wages, and the vast majority of these jobs are full-time.
*Downsizing is the process in which corporations deliberately reduce the number of their employees.
Step one: Reading the passage.
(The primary purpose in this section is to distinguish the hypothesis, the inference, and the conclusion of the argument.)
Obviously, this argument is constituted by 3 parts of statement:
Your recent article on corporate downsizing* in the United States is misleading.
The first part is the conclusion of the author:
Pay attention to the key words, article and misleading, and try to reflect initial impression in mind that the argument is utilized to retort upon certain article. Which article? The author demonstrated it subsequently.
many competent workers who lost jobs as a result of downsizing face serious economic hardship, often for years, before finding other suitable employment.
The second part is the content of article being regarded as the mistaken impression by the author:
We might be confused at first glance by the word "downsizing". Fortunately, the author provided its precise definition at the end of article: Downsizing is the process in which corporations deliberately reduce the number of their employees. Here, another key word should be placed emphasis on -- deliberately. Therefore, by synthesizing the two sentences, we could make it clear that the article held a critical and negative attitude toward unnecessary staff reduction of corporations and illustrated tough lives of the unemployed in the hard time; however, the author did not agree with it, for the reasons showed as below:
a recent report on the United States economy, which found that since 1992 far more jobs have been created than have been eliminated. The report also demonstrates that many of those who lost their jobs have found new employment. Two-thirds of the newly created jobs have been in industries that tend to pay above-average wages, and the vast majority of these jobs are full-time.
The third part is the evidence and deduction of the author:
Before commencing discussing it, there exists a controversial question to deliberate carefully: should we suspect the survey of lacking sufficient number of respondents, restraining in particular group of community, and so on? As far as I concerned, for its function of employing fundamental evidence of the deduction of the author, I strongly recommend you to skip this issue and to merely consider it as the background information, or, the hypothesis of this argument.
Now we turn to the essential content of this part. The author brought forth three reasons grounding on the survey:
1. Far more jobs have been created than have been eliminated.
2. Many of those who lost jobs have found new employment.
3. Most of the newly created jobs have been paid above-average wages and almost all of them are full-time job.
Step two: Analyzing the logic chain.
(This section is to serve as a graphics for the logical flaws of this argument)
As is mentioned above, the author provided three factors illustrated by the survey. Each of them is used to prove his/her conclusion. Therefore, we could safely draw the logical construction of this argument as below:
reason 1--| reason 2--|-->conclusion reason 3--|
This logic chain, simple and parallel as it is, should be contradicted respectively and then synthesized to break down the author's standpoint.
Step three: Find out flaws. (This section will illustrate all possible logical problems of this argument)
Now, we could be able to organize our order of refuting and valid contentions:
Retorting reason 1: Could the rate of job-increase in proportion to the rate of population growth? Does the number of jobs indeed meet the need of the American? The author merely referred to an abstract phrase "far more" instead of precise rate. In addition, the so-called far more jobs would not be only provided for someone who lost jobs; workers who master a special skill and the undergraduates could also share the same opportunity as the unemployed.
Retorting reason 2: The author failed to provide the average time spent of the unemployed in finding another job. He/She also overlooked the living standard of the unemployed citizens during their hunting job period.
Retorting reason 3: It would be an open question that whether the rest one-third residents should be intentionally neglected. The author undeserved slipped the treatment level and working condition of them. Besides, the ratio of part-time job deserves to take into consideration.
Attention please: The logical structure of this argument is coordinate construction, the relationship among the paragraphs would be less persuasive to utilize concessive clause.
You could find more detailed excuses in https://bbs.gter.net/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=921368&highlight
Step four: Further speculation.
(In this section, there is a interesting question, endeavor your best to solve it. Pay more perspiration, you will thus obtain more inspiration)
From first to last, the author only focused on the word "job" itself to express his position. However, the content of the article also mentioned the action of downsizing. Since the author failed to consider this issue, we could confidently conclude that he/she acquiesced in the rationality of downsizing. The red-color sentence should be regarded as a hidden hypothesis of the argument. If, for instance, we primarily argued this hidden hypothesis, could we be able to give the author a "Critical Strike"?
References: I am glad to recommendate all of you an article solving similar type of argument. The link of that classic essay is provided here: https://bbs.gter.net/thread-416323-1-1.html. Hope it helps, good luck!
Thanks for reading!
The end.
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