"After reading about low expectations for a high school diploma and limiting homework, I am concerned that we are becoming a soft, wimpy, mediocre society."
This assertion is from a letter to the editor, entitled, "The Quality of Homework," (NYTimes, 31 Oct. 2011). While the letter provided some fairly strong evidence that the high school education of our country is lacking, I think concluding that this makes our society, "soft, wimpy," and, "mediocre," is too emotive, among all else, and commits the fallacy of false cause. The connection between loosening educational standards has no direct and certain relation to a soft, wimpy, and mediocre society. One can even question the ambiguity of what he means by soft, and wimpy. I think that perhaps using the term mediocre might be justified, especially if it were relative to the academic performance and production per worker in other competitive countries. However, the conclusion in all is weakly correlated with the premise and, in my opinion, fallacious.
I definitely think there are fallacies in this argument. Like you said, the language is very emotive. It seems more like this is what the author is feeling than what research actually says about high schoolers and homework. He might be better off if he did some research and then cited sources that have done tests to prove that high school students are getting off too easy. I also agree with you that this could be a false cause. This could also be suppressed evidence I think. The arguer is withholding the fact that plenty of students do graduate from high school with a great education, go on to college, and some even go on to get their doctorate. Those students are not lacking in my mind and I do not think they should be lacking in the author's mind either. Do you agree?
ReplyDeleteYeah, there is definitely suppressed evidence as well. Even if his argument was strong, he would still need to elaborate on such a complex issue.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree. This is not an issue that can just be stated in such a simple way. The argument would have to be much more indepth and site some qualified sources as well. This is a good argument to discuss though seen as how there are fallacies present
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