Argument142 超级变态题 诚请高人指点

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[超级变态难题]

诚请高人看看我批驳的点有没有问题。～～～建议让出这题的老美来写写，看他崩不崩溃～～

142.The article entitled 'Eating Iron' in last month's issue of Eating for Health reported that a recent study found a correlation between high levels of iron in the diet and an increased risk of heart disease. Further, it is well established that there is a link between large amounts of red meat in the diet and heart disease, and red meat is high in iron. On the basis of the study and the well-established link between red meat and heart disease, we can conclude that the correlation between high iron levels and heart disease, then, is most probably a function of the correlation between red meat and heart disease.

The arguer asserts that a reported correlation between high iron levels and heart disease is attributable to a well-established one between red meat and heart disease, taking that red meat is high in iron as evidence. Logical and reasonable as it seems at first glance, further reevaluation reveals that much of the evidence and reasoning should be called into question, hence the conclusion is unreliable.

To begin with, the arguer begs the question that whether the first correlation between high levels of iron and heart disease is trustworthy or reliable. Doubt might be cast onto the study cited in that article. For example, is the study conducted by a group of experts with professional knowledge and  Lacking any data, perhaps it is some other elements during the study process that results in the increased risk of heart disease, which, unfortunately misleads the conductors. Without

Second, even granted that the reported causal relationship between high levels of iron and heart disease is valid, though it is worth further examination, the notion that iron contributes to the established link between red meat and heart disease is also questionable in a large part. Since the author doesn't offer any data as the extent to which iron levels would really correlate?? with heart disease. It is likely that iron in red meat is not so high enough as to reach that standard. It is equally possible that their other factors of the red meat that contribute to the link with heart disease. In the second place, the author only point out a mere relationship between high levels of iron and heart disease, but fails to account for how. Maybe in that study the correlation is（成立） only with an additional reasoning or in a special way of cooking, while the link between red meat and heart disease ?? in another way. Due to the lack of more information, the arguer can not convince me on?? his conclusion.

Even though the two correlations in this argument are reliable, however, in the author's conclusion still lies a serious problem, that he/she fails to consider other types of food high in iron. Without listing and examining other food with iron at a high level, it is too hasty for the author to affirm that the reported correlation is a function of the other. What's more, if some other types of food are proved to have nothing with heart disease, the conclusion in this argument could  be overthrown in that the reported causal relationship between high levels of iron and heart disease is fundamentally unreliable or fallacious.

To summarize, the arguer' attempt to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between a reported correlation and a well-established one seems hard to succeed. To better assess this argument, the arguer should provide more information about the details of the reported study and its result. Further, other types of food high in iron should be involved into consideration and examination to gain a comprehensive evaluation of the author's conclusion.

[ 本帖最后由 daidai_4 于 2006-3-17 07:23 编辑 ]