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This is a graded discussion: 4 points possible due Sep 28 at 1:59am

Week 1 – Discussion 1

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond

to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your

responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance

on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Standard Form Arguments

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the assigned chapters in your textbook, watch the

videos Identifying Premises and Conclusions (https://youtu.be/07mehbgE5jc?

list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , What Is an Argument? (https://youtu.be/Nq8-w2BAJkU?

list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , What Is a Good Argument? (Part I) (https://youtu.be/AlRYrBFoQqA?

list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , and What Is a Good Argument?: The Logic Condition

(https://youtu.be/bA8GuloqV60?list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , and complete the interactive module PHI

103 Premises and Conclusions (https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/ab3cd6a6-

9052-40aa-b857-965685fcf0f1/1/PHIL103PremiseConclusion.zip/story.html) . In addition, watch the video

Standard Form

(https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Standard+Form+Chris+Foster/0_td0lh8rb) (displayed

below).

For further information, review the document Presenting Arguments in Standard Form .

Your instructor will choose the discussion question and post it as the first post in the discussion forum.

Answer all the questions in the prompt, and read any resources that are required to complete the

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discussion properly. If you have not done so already, begin by choosing a topic from the Final Paper

Options list to use in your writing assignments in this course.

Guided Response: In addition to your original post, post a minimum of three responses for a total of at

least four posts. At least two responses must be to your classmates; the third response could be to a

classmate or your instructor. Be sure to post on three separate days throughout the week to promote

further engagement and discussion. Each response should be a minimum of 75 words.

(https://ashford.instructure.com/courses/31788/users/4924) Cora Moore

(https://ashford.instructure.com/courses/31788/users/4924)

Wednesday

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Week One Discussion #1: Initial Arguments on your Topic

For this discussion, choose a topic of interest for which you feel you could create a strong

argument on both sides or choose from one of the following topics: [List of suggested topics].

In your initial post:

◦ Present the strongest argument you can on two different sides of your topic. Make sure to put

both arguments in standard form, with the premises listed above the conclusion.

◦ Without taking sides on the issue, consider and discuss two of the following questions: Do

these arguments represent the best arguments on each side of the question? What more can

we do to better understand those on the both sides of important questions? In what ways can

this kind of exercise can help you to look at issues more objectively and fairly? What more can

people do to understand the views of those with different perspectives on this and other topics?

Do you think that understanding issues as strongly as possible from multiple points of view

could promote a better life?

Guided Response: In addition to your own post, post a minimum of three responses, two of which

must be to your classmates. The third response could be to a classmate or your instructor. Be

sure to post on three separate days throughout the week to promote further engagement and

discussion. Each response should be a minimum of 50 words.

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Here is the list of options from which to choose your paper topic. The idea is to use the same topic for all three papers in this course. If you want to switch topics between papers or if you want to choose a topic not on this list, it is best to consult with your instructor first. Your paper topic is a particular question that you will attempt to resolve using logic and critical thinking. Choose a question from the list below that interests you and about which you feel that you will be able to conduct scholarly research and construct logical arguments on both sides. Feel free to modify the question into something more concrete and specific if it would allow for a stronger or more interesting paper. Here are the topics from which to choose (they are organized into categories to make it easier to narrow down your choice): Ethical Questions:

• Is it permissible to use capital punishment on persons convicted of certain crimes? • Is physician assisted suicide morally acceptable when a person is suffering from a

painful, incurable, terminal condition? • Is abortion morally acceptable when the woman’s life is not in danger due to the

pregnancy? • Is it acceptable to purchase clothing made by underpaid and poorly treated workers

in other countries?

Legal/Political Questions: • Should a photo ID be required for voting? • Should legal marriage be available to couples of the same sex? • Should marijuana be legal for recreational use? • Should vaccinations be required for all children of certain ages?

Economics:

• Does federal assistance for college education for people with low incomes help the economy in the long run?

• Are government subsidies (e.g. for agriculture, oil exploration, etc.) generally good for the economy?

• Would shifting to alternative sources of energy (wind, solar, etc.) be likely to benefit or harm our economy in the long run?

Daily Life:

• What is the best way to invest one’s money (example: Are mutual funds better on average than investing in real estate)?

• What is the best method for managing one’s time? • Does the use of Social Media tend to improve or harm relationships? • Are video games (or is pornography, TV, etc.) addictive (or harmful)?

Education:

• Is online education ‘as good as’ on ground education generally?

• Is it unwise to major in the arts or humanities (given debt to employment ratios, etc.)?

• Should the government shift to funding charter schools rather than public schools? Health/Medicine:

• Is the use of therapy (or yoga, meditation, religion, etc.) effective in improving one’s long term well-being?

• Are psychiatric drugs beneficial for (or detrimental to) long term mental health? • Do vaccines cause autism or other harmful diseases? • Does alternative medicine (e.g. acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, etc.) work

better in many cases than standard western (allopathic) medicine? Environment

• Is climate change real and human caused? • Should the government regulate the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions? • Is our current rate of rainforest clearing (or ocean fishing, etc.) sustainable? • Should wolves (or bison) be allowed to roam free in the western states?

Animal Ethics:

• Which types of animals possess consciousness (or reasoning, language, emotion, etc.)?

• It is ethically acceptable to raise animals for food on factory farms? • Should people be required to spay/neuter pets?

Science and Reality:

• Is there evidence for non-physically explainable phenomena being real (ESP, auras, astrology, ghosts, etc.)?

• Is intelligent design science? Parenting:

• Is the ‘cry it out’ method good for babies? • What methods of discipline have been shown to be best for child development? • Is breast feeding better than formula in all cases? • Are children raised with opposite-sex parents better off in general than those raised

with same-sex parents? • Should ‘junk food’ be allowed in public school vending machines? • Should sex education be taught in public schools?

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