Argument056【南智组 Norman第17次作业】--有拍必回！

norman518UID: 188582

TOPIC: ARGUMENT56 - Collectors prize the ancient life-size clay statues of human figures made on Kali Island but have long wondered how the Kalinese artists were able to depict bodies with such realistic precision. Since archeologists have recently discovered molds of human heads and hands on Kali, we can now conclude that the ancient Kalinese artists used molds of actual bodies, not sculpting tools and techniques, to create these statues. This discovery explains why Kalinese miniature statues were abstract and entirely different in style: molds could only be used for life-size sculptures. It also explains why few ancient Kalinese sculpting tools have been found. In light of this development, collectors should expect the life-size sculptures to decrease in value and the miniatures to increase in value.


In this article, based on the premise of life-size sculptures made by modes and miniatures by handcraft, the author suggest that collector should expect the life-size sculptures to decrease in value and the miniatures to decrease in value. To strengthen his suggestion and premise, the author cites recent archeological discovery and then make a series of deduction. However, I find the author's suggestion is full of fallacies from deducting and reasoning to premise.

In the first place, even if tenable is the premise that those life-size sculptures are made by modes and miniatures by hand-made, the author’s suggestion, about the life-size sculptures to decrease in value and the miniatures to decrease in value, is based on an unsubstantiated presumption that the value of Kalinese sculptures made by handcraft must go beyond those made by modes. It is true that the value of modern sculptures is largely relevant to whether it is handmade or not, but this is not in the case about antique. When it comes to ancient sculptures, its values may be mainly decided by many other factors, such as artistic skills, the existent numbers, the degree of delicacy and integrity, and so on. What is more irrational is that miniatures should increase in value just for life-size sculptures to decrease its value. However, daily experiences tell us that the trend of their values is not mutually exclusive. At least, the author should provide more evidence to demonstrate their inner interaction of value. If not, the author’s suggestion is vulnerable.

In the second place, the premise of life-size sculptures made by modes is untenable. In this article, the author fails to provide any evidence to express that modes discovered by archeologists in Kalinese are exactly matched up to those heads or hands of life-size sculptures. So, it is highly possible that those modes found in archeological discovery belong to another civilized era, and are irrelated with existent life-size sculptures. What is more, the author's premise is based on the either-or thinking that those ancient sculptures must be made by an alternative ways of mode or handcraft. It is totally likely that those life-size sculptures of which hands and heads are made by mode, while the rest parts made up by handcraft. If the author cannot rule out those possibilities, the premise of life-size sculptures made by mode is still doubtable.

Finally, suspicious is the same as the premise of miniatures made by handcraft. In this article, even if miniatures’ modes cannot be found in the archeological discovery, it cannot rule out the possibility that those modes used for miniatures have been emergent but disappeared with the time. Common sense tells us that molding the mini-mode is much easier than doing the life-size, it could be other unknown factors to lead to those mini-modes extinguishing, such as climate, religion, the cultural holocaust, and so forth. As a matter of fact, the distinct style with abstract character distinguished miniatures from life-size sculptures with realistic precision could illustrate nothing but diversiform expression. What is worse, the author should avoid demonstrating the two-edged evidence, even as deficiency of sculpting tools can suspect life-size sculptures made by handcraft, so can it do miniatures sculpted by handcraft. On balance, the author should provide more evidence in detail to testify miniatures scripted by handcraft, otherwise, we can hardly accept the premise about miniature.

In sum, the assumption and premise of author’s suggestion is untenable and vulnerable, which results in the suggestion being unbelievable. To strengthen, the author should provide more evidence about each kind of antique on Kali land, such as its existent quantities, its artistic level, its degree of delicacy and integrity, etc. At least, the author should abstain from such essentially logical fallacies as black-or-white fallacy and two-edged evidence. To better evaluate, I need more detailed information about life-size sculptures and miniatures, such as its body’s technologic detail except for heads and hands, the transition of culture and religion on Kali, the invasion of another tribe, and so forth.