Argument48 [勇往直前小组]第九夜ByPuding

PudingUID：2364107

TOPIC: ARGUMENT48 - The following appeared in a newspaper article published in the country of Corpora.

"Twenty years ago, one half of all citizens in Corpora met the standards for adequate physical fitness as then defined by the national advisory board on physical fitness. Today, the board says that only one quarter of all citizens are adequately fit and suggests that spending too much time using computers may be the reason. But since overall fitness levels are highest in regions of Corpora where levels of computer ownership are also highest, it is clear that using computers has not made citizens less physically fit. Instead, as shown by this year's unusually low expenditures on fitness-related products and services, the recent decline in the economy is most likely the cause, and fitness levels will improve when the economy does."
WORDS: 336          TIME: 0:30:00          DATE: 2007-7-28
Modified:502 （差好远。。。A总是敲不完啊）

In the argument, the author conclude that the recent decline in the economy is most likely cause for the fitness level of citizens in Corpora, and fitness will improve when the economy does. At first glance, the argument seems convincing, however, after careful examination I find that the argument suffers from three logical flaws.

First and foremost, the author contends that using computes has not made citizens less physically fit because where levels of computer ownership are highest, the overall fitness level are highest. How ever, no evidence in the argument can account for this statement. The highest level of computer ownership does not mean that the time of using computer is the longest. It is highly possible that most residents in this area are school students. They spent most of their time in school and study and had no time to use the computer at all. Thus it is extremely possible that the use of computer cause the decrease of fitness level.

What's more, even excluding the function of computer to the fitness level, the author falsely assumes that decline in the economy is most likely the cause. To support it, the author stated that in this year, the expenditure on fitness-related products and service are usually low. However, no support can explain this false relationship. Perhaps the fitness-related products and service are not good in quality and cannot meet the need of the customer, so that even though the the economic situation was good and the citizens had enough afford ability, they would not by the products. Consequently, the author fails to provide enough evidence to show that decline in the economy is most likely the cause.

Last but not least, even though the fitness level decrease because of the bad economic situation, the author cannot persuade me that fitness level will improve when the economy does. It is highly possible that even though the citizens have enough money and thus buy the product, such products cannot enhance the fitness level of them at all. May be the decline of fitness level is result from the lacking of some particular element in the diet or the water resource of the city, yet the product related to fitness is target in the energy supplement or other factors. It fails to improve the fitness level in this city. Hence, the author cannot persuade me that fitness level will improve when the economy does.

In sum, the author fails to substantiate his claim that the recent decline in the economy is most likely cause for the fitness level of citizens in Corpora, and fitness will improve when the economy does, because the evidence in the analysis does not lead strong support to what the author maintains. To make the argument more convincing, the arguer would have to provide more information concerning the extent to which the fitness related products can increase the fitness level of people. Additionally, he would demonstrate that how people look on this expenditure and what lead to the low expenditure.