Argument197 [by dagger_zhang]欢迎大家拍砖

dagger_zhangUID: 2140939

:) TOPIC: ARGUMENT197 - The following appeared as part of a recommendation made by a faculty member to the president of a large university.

"Never once in our 150-year history as a university have we clarified our objectives. How, then, can we hope to adapt as an institution to the new challenges facing higher education. As a first step in this evolutionary process, therefore, we should send out questionnaires asking faculty members why they teach, asking students what they want from this university, and asking former students what they gained from their own education here. When the replies come in, we can tabulate them and formulate an official statement of our educational mission. This will surely result in improved programs at our university."

Based on unfounded assumption, the author puts forward a series of suggestions in order to improve programs at his or her university. However, the argument - appearing to be reasonable at first glance - actually relies on dubious assumptions and is therefore unconvincing. The main flaws of the argument would be discussed respectively.

In the first place, the author commits a fallacy unwarranted assumption in assuming that specific objectives are very important to the development of this university. According to the author’s recommendation, if this university without definite objectives, it can not adapt the new challenges facing higher education. However, the author fails to substantiate this crucial assumption. Firstly, this university has a 150-years history and has not a clear goal, but it still exists in society, which just illustrates that it might development well in future. Secondly, the author provided no evidence that other universities, which have a definite objective, were improved rapidly, or any university without it, was eliminated by society. Thus, unless the author gives enough information to confirm the importance of specific objective, the proposal about improving the university is unfounded.

In the second place, even assuming that definite objectives are crucial to the development of a university, the argument relies on the assumption that the responses are reliable. Because this survey is launched by the university, it is possible that some teachers answer the question “why they teach”, they would not express their true ideas, for the sake of status, money, etc., and they might give an honorable reply. It is equally possible that some students, especially freshmen, are not mature enough to realize what they really want. It is also likely that a lot of former students would not give a response because they are very busy, or they have no interest in it. Since the author fails to account for these possibilities, he or she could not convince us of the questionnaires could provide true and valuable information sufficiently.

Last but not least, granted that the author has enough evidence to justify all the foregoing assumption, it is still doubtful that the university can be improved with adopting this measure. The aim of the author is improve programs in order to help student more adaptable in society. But the way, which they gain the information, is still questionable because this survey does not take the society and government’s needs into account. Individual ideas are beneficial to short-term development, while society and government pay more attention on long-term programs. Thus, in face of such an unimpeachable fact, it is fallacious for the author to draw the conclusion that if this university adopts the results of questionnaires, it will surely improve the education programs.

In summary, though the argument seems to be plausible, in fact, it is neither sound nor persuasive. To make the argument more convincing, further information about the necessity of objectives should be revealed and other factors which are beneficial to the development of this university should be reconsidered.

[ 本帖最后由 lastangel 于 2007-7-31 09:37 编辑 ]

最後の使徒UID: 2257608

TOPIC: ARGUMENT197 - The following appeared as part of a recommendation made by a faculty member to the president of a large university.

"Never once in our 150-year history as a university have we clarified our objectives. How, then, can we hope to adapt as an institution to the new challenges facing higher education. As a first step in this evolutionary process, therefore, we should send out questionnaires asking faculty members why they teach, asking students what they want from this university, and asking former students what they gained from their own education here. When the replies come in, we can tabulate them and formulate an official statement of our educational mission. This will surely result in improved programs at our university."

Based on unfounded assumption, the author puts forward a series of suggestions in order to improve programs at his or her university. However, the argument - appearing to be reasonable at first glance - actually relies on dubious assumptions and is therefore unconvincing. The main flaws of the argument would be discussed respectively.

In the first place, the author commits a fallacy unwarranted assumption in assuming that specific objectives are very important to the development of this university. According to the author’s recommendation, if this university without definite objectives, it can not adapt the new challenges facing higher education. However, the author fails to substantiate this crucial assumption. Firstly, this university has a 150-years history and has not a clear goal, but it still exists in society, which just illustrates that it might development well in future.(你这句也是没有依据没有论证的, 跟作者的论断强度差不多, 为什么有历史未来就好? 可能150年来都是苟延残喘, 要把这些内容解释清楚--一个好的学校才经得起时间的考验, 即使没有固定目标, 还是经历了150年风雨, 说明它如何如何..) Secondly, the author provided no evidence that other universities, which have a definite objective, were improved rapidly, or any university without it, was eliminated by society.(how will this enhance his assumption? demonstrate the importance of objective? Can other universities be compared with this one? 把话说完, 光说作者没怎么样是说明不了作者的错误的, 要说他没这么干的后果) Thus, unless the author gives enough information to confirm the importance of specific objective, the proposal about improving the university is unfounded.

In the second place, even assuming that definite objectives are crucial to the development of a university, the argument relies on the assumption that the responses are reliable.(不是什么都能叫asumption的,作者没有直接说这个, 如果这种都叫assumption, 那么文章的assumption肯定不止这点, 还有比如校友都是正常人, 学校有能力实行调查, 作者不是疯子...用specific的语言去概括作者的错误才能精确, 直接说明作者的建议不可行, 做调查的可靠性不大, 不要见什么错误都往模版上套) Because this survey is launched by the university, it is possible that some teachers answer the question “why they teach”, they would not express their true ideas, for the sake of status, money, etc., and they might give an honorable reply.(推测的时候给自己的理由--大家都知道上班是为了挣钱, 即使这些教师说了实话, 挣钱也不能为制定学校目标创造依据) It is equally possible that some students, especially freshmen, are not mature enough to realize what they really want.(so what? 他们不知道学校的情况, 不知道自己的理想, 所以不能给学校目标任何有价值的建议, 把话说完) It is also likely that a lot of former students would not give a response because they are very busy, or they have no interest in it.(这句是无论据假设, 校友的热心还是有的, 还不如说他们的时代不一样了, 目标, 成就都变了, 他们在学校得到的未必就是现在学校应该做的) Since the author fails to account for these possibilities, he or she could not convince us of the questionnaires could provide true and valuable information sufficiently. (reliable和valuable是不一样的, 主题句用的那个reliable不合适)

Last but not least, granted that the author has enough evidence to justify all the foregoing assumption, it is still doubtful that the university can be improved with adopting this measure. The aim of the author is improve programs in order to help student more adaptable in society. But the way, which they gain the information, is still questionable because this survey does not take the society and government’s needs into account. Individual ideas are beneficial to short-term development, while society and government pay more attention on long-term programs.(又一句无支持的论断) Thus, in face of such an unimpeachable fact, it is fallacious for the author to draw the conclusion that if this university adopts the results of questionnaires, it will surely improve the education programs. (questionaires->objectives->improve program, 中间漏了作者要论证的环节, 这个攻击点等于把两个连在一起了, 所以在攻击上缺乏针对性, programs指的是教学项目, 跟学校目标的关注范围不同, 往往更specific, 没有直接联系, 再把它和社会连上等于犯了与作者相同的错误.)

In summary, though the argument seems to be plausible, in fact, it is neither sound nor persuasive. To make the argument more convincing, further information about the necessity of objectives should be revealed and other factors which are beneficial to the development of this university should be reconsidered.

总评: 攻击点选得比较好, 除了最后一点让人看着摸不着重点, 我想你要做的是置疑作者得出目标的手段, 至于它的结果是下一个环节, 如果没时间攻击还想提一下的话, 至少先把前面的错误说清楚.
论证上很多论据其实是不错的, 但没有充分利用, 还没解释清楚就转到下一个了, 这样很难把问题说得透彻有力, 可以减少论据数量, 增加论据的质量.

dagger_zhangUID: 2140939

谢谢版板，一定好好加油