Argument 35 【7\8\9\10】 7.25(第五次作业) by general

general727UID: 2494818

TOPIC: ARGUMENT35 - The following appeared in the summary of a study on headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia.

"Salicylates are members of the same chemical family as aspirin, a medicine used to treat headaches. Although many foods are naturally rich in salicylates, for the past several decades food-processing companies have also been adding salicylates to foods as preservatives. This rise in the commercial use of salicylates has been found to correlate with a steady decline in the average number of headaches reported by participants in our twenty-year study. Recently, food-processing companies have found that salicylates can also be used as flavor additives for foods. With this new use for salicylates, we can expect a continued steady decline in the number of headaches suffered by the average citizen of Mentia."
WORDS:402          TIME: 00:50:00          DATE: 2008-7-25 9:50:54

The study of headaches suffered by the residents of Mentia points out that salicylates have a obvious effect on releasing the headache. The author provide two evidences: one is salicylates and aspirin-a medicine used to treat headaches- are in the same chemical family, another one is that a study shows with salicylates used in food, the number of local citizen suffered the headache is on the way to decline. The study still claims that food-processing companies recently found salicylates can be used in flavor additives, so he expects the number will continue to decreas. Analyzing carefully, the argument contains some logical flaws, which lead it unconvinced.

The first problem with the argument is that the writer cites a doubtful analogism.  Although salicylates and aspirin are in the same chemical family, they have different structures which may lead them have different functions. The writer doesn't provide any evidence to illustrate that salicylates and aspirion has the same effect on headache, so the conclusion drawn from the analogism is unconvinced.

The second problem with the argument is that the author build an unwarranted causality between salicylates used in food-processing and a steady decline in the number of headaches. This study lacks information about the number, gender, age and region of the people surveyed. Perhaps they come from the same areas in which the number of headaches is below the average level of Mentia. Or perhaps, the sample contains many younger person who are in healthy physical condition.
Furthermore, the author ignores other factors which can also contributes to reducing the number of headaches. Such as, some effective measures were taken by the government to enhance the level of medical treatment, local residents pay more attentions on their physical healthy. Without ruling out these possibilities, no matter what conclusion drawn from the argument above is unwarranted.

Finally, even if the author can substantiate all of the foregoing assumptions, the author's expectation that there is a continued steady decline in the number of headaches according to the report by food-processing companies that salicylates can also be used in flavor additives is still doubtful. Don't forget the companies' purposes are to make maximum profits. So maybe what they said is just to bring profit, instead of the reality.

In conclusion, the argument is unconvinced. If the author what his conclusion accepted by others, he should first provide sufficient evidences to eliminate all the possibilities that I questioned above.