ARGUMENT169 =August Rush=小组第6次作业 by 尾羽

尾羽UID: 2482591

TOPIC: ARGUMENT169 - The following appeared in a letter from a department chairperson to the president of Pierce University.

"Some studies conducted by Bronston College, which is also located in a small town, reveal that both male and female professors are happier living in small towns when their spouses are also employed in the same geographic area. Therefore, in the interest of attracting the most gifted teachers and researchers to our faculty and improving the morale of our entire staff, we at Pierce University should offer employment to the spouse of each new faculty member we hire. Although we cannot expect all offers to be accepted or to be viewed as an ideal job offer, the money invested in this effort will clearly be well spent because, if their spouses have a chance of employment, new professors will be more likely to accept our offers."


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尾羽UID: 2482591

WORDS: 535          TIME: 01:04:21          DATE: 2009-7-30 12:40:46

Basing on the study showing that professors in Bronston College are happier living in small towns when their spouses are also employed nearby, supposing that this measure would attract more gifted teachers and improve the morale of staff, the author accordingly concludes that Pierce University should offer employment to the spouse of their new faculty. It seems to be a rational plan, while a close examination would reveal how groundless it is.

To begin with, a threshold assumption upon which this argument relies on that the conclusion of studies conducted by Bronston College might not be as same as the circumstance of Pierce University. The author fails to consider some details that professors whose spouses live in downtown might be also happy to have an opportunity to reencounter each other or to enjoy a different urban atmosphere of life every once in a while, and that the basic consumption level in area of Pierce University may be significantly higher than the area around the Bronston which means they would cost much more in quotidian expenditure after the couple of professor all work near Pierce University. Without the information mentioned above to be considered, the author asserts the conclusion according to the study of Bronston College.

What further weakens the deduction in the argument is that even if the professors are willing to work in Pierce University due to their spouse were hired in the same place, the author still cannot conclude that this measure would definitely attract more splendid teachers and improve the morale level of entire staff. Firstly, it is entirely possible that teachers would determine whether he or she is employed by a school according to if the school has excellent equipment, fulfilled academic atmosphere and good students, rather than the employment of their spouse. Additionally, even assuming more gifted professors were hired, there is no evidence to prove that the entire morale of staff would be better. Staff is employees that may not be affect by the professors who usually concentrate on academic research. Thus, to improve efficiency, the author must provide more persuasive reasons.

Moreover, concerning the money invested in the effort for attracting more teachers, the author still makes a critical flaw: even assuming that gifted professors and their spouses accept the author’s method and were hired by Pierce University, it is still not quite sure that whether Pierce University can afford the cost of their high salary. After all Pierce University is an institution for education rather than a commercial one. Ironically, Pierce University may cost too much on the teachers’ salary to has enough funds to rebuild the old equipment for class resulting in that the entire morale level of staff or students were descending. Therefore, without presenting the specific circumstance of financial of Pierce University, the author’s claim would be rejected.

As it stands, the conclusion of this argument is not well reasoned. To make it more logically acceptable, the author would have to demonstrate more detailed investigations with solid fact in Pierce University and appropriate deductions, such as the specific circumstance of the employment of the spouses of professors in Pierce, the morale situation of the staff and whether the response to the invention is worthy.