argument140 4月作文小组3月27日第三次作业 by寂寞樱花

寂寞樱花UID：2306511

TOPIC: ARGUMENT140 - The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.

"During her seventeen years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
WORDS: 610          TIME: 1:21:29          DATE: 2007-3-27

In this argument the author reaches the conclusion that Professor Thomas should be given a 10000 dollars raise on salary and be promoted to Department Chairperson or the professor may leave Elm City University for another college. The basis for this recommendation is that classes of Professor Thomas are the ones of the largest among the university which means her popularity. And additional reasons given in support of this recommendation is that the money in research she has brought to the university is more than her salary in the past two years. I find this argument logically unconvincing in several respects.

Firstly, the author commits a fallacy misapplied generalization in assuming that large classes will automatically lead to popularity among student. The author does not provide sufficient evidence to support the claim. Although in general, maybe more students choose the classes means more popular the classes are, the problem is that popularity do not occur automatically, it requires that the classes are optional subjects and students want to choose the classes compared with others. It is possible that the classes of the professor are all required courses, and all students at university must study them. Thus, there is no guarantee of Professor Thomas's popularity among students as the author claims.

Secondly, the argument suffers from a fallacy of "All things are equal". The fact that the money the professor has brought to the university in research has exceeded her salary in the past two years is not a sound evidence to draw the conclusion that she excels in research and will do well in research in afterward years like these two years. The author assumes without justification that the background conditions have remained the same at different time. However, it is not clear in this argument whether the intending conditions are the same as they are now. Thus, it is impossible to conclude that Professor Thomas is good at research and will do as good as she did in the last to years in the future.

Moreover, even if assume that Professor Thomas is a good professor in teaching and researching, the author has given no information on whether she is the suitable person for Chairperson, which is different from teaching and researching and will have more trivial things to deal with. If the author cannot give out explicit evidence to demonstrate Professor Thomas is the right person for dealing with all things that a Chairperson will inflict or if this has been done is not a mistake of losing a excellent teacher and add a inept Chairperson, I just cannot accept what the author recommend.

Finally, there is no evidence in this argument to prove that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another one and the author hastily assumes that raising salary will keep the professor from leaving if she really wants to go. This aspect is only one of many factors that might affect the professor's decision. For example, the conditions of research or the reputation of the university might be taken under consider. The author’s failure to investigate or even consider other possible explanation for the professor's leaving renders the conclusion based upon it highly suspect. Beside, the author provide no information about whether there are any other professors has the same situation as Professor Thomas, if there are, the salary raising of Professor Thomas but not the others will lead to a dissatisfaction of other professors and Elm City University may lose more excellent professors.

In summary, the conclusion reached in this argument is invalid and misleading. To make the argument more persuasive, the arguer would have to prove that Professor Thomas is a real good professor and suits for Chairperson. Moreover, I would suspend my judgment about the credibility of the recommendation until the arguer can provide concrete evidence that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college only because of salary.

vivien3773UID：2308910

TOPIC:ARGUMENT140 - The following appeared in a report of the Committee onFaculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.

"During her seventeen yearsas a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to bewell worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among thelargest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students.Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in researchgrants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years.Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teachingand research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raiseand a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise andpromotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City Universityfor another college."
WORDS: 610          TIME: 1:21:29          DATE: 2007-3-27

In this argument the authorreaches the conclusion that Professor Thomas should be given a 10000dollars raise on salary and be promoted to Department Chairperson orthe professor may leave Elm City University for another college. Thebasis for this recommendation is that classes of  Professor Thomas arethe ones of the largest among the university which means herpopularity. And additional reasons given in support of thisrecommendation is that the money in research she has brought to theuniversity is more than her salary in the past two years. I find thisargument logically unconvincing in several respects.

Firstly, the author commitsa fallacy misapplied generalization in assuming that large classes willautomatically lead to popularity among student. The author does notprovide sufficient evidence to support the claim. Although in general,maybe more students choose the classes means more popular the classesare, the problem is that popularity do not occur automatically, itrequires that the classes are optional subjects and students want tochoose the classes compared with others.（觉得这句可以简化或省略） It is possible that theclasses of the professor are all required courses, and all students atuniversity must study them. Thus, there is no guarantee of ProfessorThomas's popularity among students as the author claims.

Secondly, the argumentsuffers from a fallacy of "All things are equal". The fact that themoney the professor has brought to the university in research hasexceeded her salary in the past two years is not a sound evidence todraw the conclusion that she excels in research and will do well inresearch in afterward years （like these two years）. The author assumeswithout justification that the background conditions have remained thesame at different time. However, it is not clear in this argumentwhether the intending conditions are the same as they are now. Thus, itis impossible to conclude that Professor Thomas is good at research andwill do as good as she did in the last to years in the future.（这段主要是证明吸收研究经费不说明这个人的研究水平高也不说明这个人今后还会如此。不过感觉只证明了第二点，而且话有点重复）

Moreover, even if assumethat Professor Thomas is a good professor in teaching and researching,the author has given no information on whether she is the suitableperson for Chairperson, which is different from teaching andresearching and will have more trivial things to deal with. If theauthor cannot give（ out） explicit evidence to demonstrate ProfessorThomas is the right person for dealing with all things that aChairperson will inflict or if this has been done is not a mistake oflosing a excellent teacher and add a inept Chairperson, I just cannotaccept what the author recommended.

Finally, there is noevidence in this argument to prove that Professor Thomas will leave ElmCity University for another one and the author hastily assumes thatraising salary will keep the professor from leaving if she really wantsto go. This aspect is only one of many factors that might affect theprofessor's decision. For example, the conditions of research or thereputation of the university might be taken under consider. Theauthor’s failure to investigate or even consider other possibleexplanation for the professor's leaving renders the conclusion basedupon it highly suspect. Beside, the author provide no information aboutwhether there are any other professors has the same situation asProfessor Thomas, if there are, the salary raising of Professor Thomasbut not the others(alone) will lead to a dissatisfaction of other professorsand Elm City University may lose more excellent professors.

In summary, the conclusion reached inthis argument is invalid and misleading. To make the argument morepersuasive, the arguer would have to prove that Professor Thomas is areal good professor and suits for Chairperson. Moreover, I wouldsuspend my judgment about the credibility of the recommendation untilthe arguer can provide concrete evidence that Professor Thomas willleave Elm City University for another college only because of salary.

找的错误很到位，很不错，就是感觉论证再精炼点更好。
不当之处请见谅。

寂寞樱花UID：2306511

恩，我每次写argument都会有这个问题，一句话一写就变成那么长了……
谢谢建议~