The two things that I have learned in Epstein’s chapter 7 is the two different ways to refute and argument. One way is to refute directly and the other is to refute indirectly.
Refuting directly is to object to what has been said.
There are three ways:
- show that as least one of the premises is dubious or doubtful
- show that the argument isn’t valid or strong
- show that the conclusion is false (Epstein, 149)
Example:
We should buy 3 gallons of Hennessy for our vacation.
(objection) That’s a lot, we should buy 2.
(answer) We’re going to drink more than 2 gallons.
(objection) We are on a budget.
(answer) When we finish the 2 gallons, we are going to end up buying more at an expensive liquor store rather than wholesale.
(answer) It will be cheaper to buy the 3 now rather than later.
In this case, the objections were trying to make my argument of buying 3 gallons of Hennessy less valid and less strong.
Refuting indirectly is used when you cannot exactly say any one premise is false or dubious (Epstein 149).
Example:
Conclusion: I want to start dieting healthy, I just won’t eat.
Indirect refute: You say you want to diet healthy by not eating. Not eating will result in you losing weight. Not eating causes a lot of problems. You are hungry all the time, you don’t have a lot of energy, you could possibly pass out, and maybe even die. The body uses food as energy to do its everyday tasks such as breathing and getting up out of bed. If the body has no energy, then it will start to shut down. So, not eating does not mean your are dieting healthy.
Nice use of examples for your refuting directly and indirectly towards an argument. I agree with your attempts to refute an argument directly with the amount of drink for the vacation trip. The person who backed up his claim with an amount of 3 gallons because stores sell liquor that is more expensive than safeway or costco. That person found a way to make the other person's premises false. Your example of dieting healthy is a good one also. You are not dieting healthy if you do not eat at all. My friend lost weight but he was constantly hungry and was not energetic. There are other ways to diet healthy which is just eating right.
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ReplyDeleteHeyy!! Your example of buying 3 gallons of hennessy made me lol because it reminded me of a ski trip I went on with my friends and another trip with my fraternity. Not only does that example relate to everyone's college life but it is also a good example because you are refute the argument successfully. The example you used of dieting is also a good one because you are definitely not dieting healthy if you are not eating. Not eating will make someone lose weight but once they start eating again people usually gain all the weight they lost plus more.
ReplyDeleteHey, first off great post! I also focused on how to directly and indirectly refute arguments for one of my discussion questions this week. Your main example of the argument followed by an objection/respond routine was a textbook perfect example. It's really an effective way to break down the process and really illustrate how to properly refute/respond to an argument instead of just simply reading an explanation. Your indirect example was also a very easy one to understand. Overall, you did a great job at using relatable examples that further helped in understanding the concepts from the reading.
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