argument169【today is the day小组】第5次作业 by baby12036

baby12036UID: 2522977

169.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."


In this argument, the chairperson recommends that Pierce University should offer employment to the spouse of each new faculty member it hire, in order to attract the most gifted teachers and researchers. To support this recommendation, the arguer cites the studies conducted by Bronston College, which reveal that professors are happier living in small towns when their spouses are also employed in the same geographic area. The arguer also points out that the money invested in this effort will clearly be well spent because the new professors will be more likely to accept the university's offers if their spouses have a chance of employment. Although the recommendation seems reasonable at first glance, it suffers from several logical fallacies as I discuss below.

To begin with, the arguer fails to provide evidence to support the assumption the study of Bronston College is applicable for Pierce University (PU). It is entirely possible that the Bronson College’s study was based on the circumstances it has or the area PU situated is much different from the normal small town. Absent the evidence to prove that the BC's study is suitable for PU, the assumption is unconvincing.
The motivation for the arguer's suggestion is to attract the most gifted teachers
and researchers and improve the morale of their entire staff. Even if we admit that the study of BC fits the situation of BU, there is no evidence in this argument could tell us why the morale of their entire staff will be improve if the plan was conducted. On the contrary, it might be counterproductive because the argument only mentioned that they offer employment to the spouse of each new faculty member we hire. What about the old stuff? It is likely that some of the old faculty will be demoralized if their spouses are still work in the other place.
Finally, the arguer overlooks the fact that the prospective stuffs' decision may be affected by many other factors. Even given the dubious assumption that the BC's study somehow reflects the most gifted teachers and researchers' inclination, there are so many other factors must taken into account when accepting a job offer. Common sense tells that a researcher might be more concerned about the reputation, the level of fund and facilities when he or she considering a job offer; it is also commonplace that a teacher may more care about the wage the university offers. Not even mention that the argument’s conclusion that the money invested in the effort will clearly be well spent based on no exact evidence. Perhaps the gifted teacher they want has not even got married yet. Or perhaps their spouses have already got a job much better than the jobs you can offer, like a CEO of a multinational company. If so, the arguer cannot concludes that the money on this investment will be well spent and new professors will be more likely to accept their offers without considering other possible method.
In conclusion, the arguer fails to provide sufficient support to the recommendation. To strengthen the argument, the arguer should have more evidence to support the applicability of the BC's study, as well as the invaluable effect of the method, giving the new stuffs' spouses employments in the same geographic area, when compared to other possible efforts. In addition, the arguer also needs to consider the old stuffs' responses to this plan.

woyunUID: 2522051

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