argu64 FLY AW小组第十九次作业

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In this memo, the Dean of Omni State University recommends that preparing our future teachers to teach high school Latin is necessary, and through practicing this proposal, the percentage of our high school students graduating from college would correspondingly increase, at the same time they can receive a better education in critical thinking. Plausible as it stands, however, scrutiny of this memo reveals several critical logical fallacies which undermine the suggestion.
First, the arguer does not provide the data relevant to graduates who do not study Latin. What about the proportion of graduates enrolling in college who do not study Latin? It may be much larger than that of graduates mastering Latin. It is entirely possible the portion of the graduates have studied Latin enrolling in colleges is beyond the average portion in the state. Without providing the information concerning the other group of graduates, the comparison can only be incomplete. Thus under the incomplete comparison between the two groups, the conclusion is unsubstantiated with no doubt.
Second, the recently conducted study is statistically unreliable. What about of the range of the sample? Are those students are representitive of the overall group of students mastering Latin? Even assuming that the reliability and representative of the students chosen could be ensured, the causal relationship between mastering Latin and better performance in logic and critical thinking is open to doubt. No evidence is provided concerning the concrete personal situation of the students who have studied Latin. The seven school may have more competent teachers than other schools. Perhaps their students are better than other schools. Their ability in logic and critical thinking resulf from other curriculums. Perhaps they take more classes in logic and critical thinking, or perhaps they read more materials about those aspects after class. Any of these factors, or others, might lead to better performance in the test mentioned above.Without ruling out all other such factors, it is unfair to conclude that mastering Latin is responsible for advanced logic and critical thinking.
Finally, the author commit a fallacy of false analogy between the students in the seven high schools and the those in Omni State University. The study cited in the argument is targeted at the graduates from the seven high schools, thus may not be suitable to the students from Omni State University. Perhaps students in Omni State University show little interests in Latin, thus the proposal may be counterproductive. Maybe it has been too late to development the critical thinking.
On balance, as it stands, the recommendation is unsubstantiated. To strengthen the assertion, the Dean must also provide detailed information regarding other curriculums taken in the above-mentioned seven schools, as well as information concerning other schools, such as the percentage of enrollment. Besides, to better assess the argument, I would also need the evidence that convinces me of the feasibility of the proposal.