EXERCISES, QUESTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES. 1) Aluminum is a limited and valuable natural resource. Therefore it s important to recycle aluminum cans.

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1 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form EXERCISES, QUESTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES Exercises Convert the following diagrams to numbered-line form. ) Aluminum is a limited and valuable natural resource. Therefore it s important to recycle aluminum cans.. It s important to recycle aluminum cans.. Aluminum is a limited and valuable natural resource. ) Computers won t ever be able to think because nothing that s just a physical thing will ever be able to think.. Computers won t ever be able to think.. Nothing that s just a physical thing will ever be able to think. 3) Are you going to the polls this week? Don t vote for lowering the drinking age. The reason is that it will increase fatalities in alcohol-related automobile accidents, since more young people will be drinking and driving.. We shouldn t vote for lowering the drinking age.. Lowering the drinking age will increase fatalities in alcohol-related automobile accidents. 3. More young people will be drinking and driving. 3

2 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 4) Lots of people take philosophy because they enjoy it. Some people take philosophy because they believe it will make them wiser human beings. There are a lot of reasons to take philosophy, but do you think that philosophy classes should be required for graduation? If not, consider this for a moment. Who among us is naive enough to believe that all of the important questions can be answered by science alone? This goes to show that many important questions can be answered only by philosophy. Thus, philosophy should be required for graduation.. Philosophy should be required for graduation.. Not all important questions can be answered by science alone. 3. Many important questions can be answered only by philosophy. 3 5) Have you heard the news? Some people actually want to increase number of classes required for graduation. What a bunch of morons! If that s a good idea, I ll stick my finger in an electrical socket! I mean, just think about it for a minute. Won t increasing the graduation requirements make it take longer to graduate? It doesn t take a genius to figure that out! And this just means that increasing the graduation requirements will force students to pay more tuition. Thus, increasing the graduation requirements will result in more people dropping out of school. Good plan!. We shouldn t increase the number of credits required for graduation.. Increasing the graduation requirements will make it take longer to graduate. 3. Increasing the graduation requirements will force students to pay more tuition. 4. Increasing the graduation requirements will result in more people dropping out of school. 3 4

3 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 3 6) Everybody should take at least one philosophy class because philosophy helps people to think and communicate clearly and because these skills are essential in any occupation.. Everybody should take at least one philosophy class.. Philosophy helps people to think and communicate clearly. 3. These skills are essential in any occupation. + 3 A 7) Different cultures have different moral codes. But if ethics were objective then all cultures would agree about what s right and wrong. This goes to show that ethics aren t objective.. Ethics aren t objective.. Different cultures have different moral codes. 3. If ethics were objective then all cultures would agree about what s right and wrong ) Many factors go into making value judgments, such as the amount of happiness which will be generated by an action and the extent to which the action corresponds to various duties. This means that the process of making value assessments embodies a complex skill, and since skills can and should be taught, the process of making value assessments should be taught in school.. The process of making value assessments should be taught in school.. Many factors go into making value judgments. 3. The process of making value assessments embodies a complex skill. 4. Skills can and should be taught

4 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 4 9) Censorship isn t the evil that it s often made out to be because nothing we do routinely could possibly be bad and because we censor all the time. After all, we routinely withhold facts from small children.. Censorship isn t the evil that it s often made out to be.. Nothing we do routinely could possibly be bad. 3. We censor all the time. 4. We routinely withhold facts from small children ) Antisocial behavior is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain since it can be treated effectively by the introduction of pharmaceutics and since pharmaceutics alter brain chemistry. Clearly, though, we shouldn t punish people for their chemical imbalances and so we shouldn t punish people for antisocial behavior.. We shouldn t punish people for antisocial behavior.. Antisocial behavior is a result of a chemical imbalance. 3. Antisocial behavior can be treated effectively by the introduction of pharmaceutics. 4. Pharmaceutics alter brain chemistry. 5. Clearly, though, we shouldn t punish people for their chemical imbalances

5 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 5 ) God doesn t exist because if he did then there would be no evil or suffering in the world since an all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good god would have prevented it. But look around! Every day, people and animals get sick or harmed in accidents, natural disasters or acts of hostility and so clearly, the world is full of suffering and evil.. God doesn t exist.. If God existed then there would be no evil or suffering in the world. 3. An all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good god would have prevented suffering and evil. 4. Every day, people and animals get sick or harmed in accidents, natural disasters or acts of hostility. 5. The world is full of suffering and evil ) The number galaxies in the universe is unimaginable and so it s reasonable to assume that many of the these galaxies contain stars which are like our sun in that they have orbital planets able to support life. Given the fact that the universe is very old, some of these planets have probably supported life longer than the earth has. Naturally, a longer biotic history would enable evolution to progress to a greater extent. That s why I believe that there is extra-terrestrial life which surpasses us.. There is extra-terrestrial life which surpasses us.. The number galaxies in the universe is unimaginable. 3. It s reasonable to assume that many of the these galaxies contain stars which are like our sun in that they have orbital planets able to support life. 4. The universe is very old. 5. Some of these planets have probably supported life longer than the earth has. 6. A longer biotic history would enable evolution to progress to a greater extent

6 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 6 3) There shouldn t be smoking and no-smoking sections in restaurants. After all, this segregates smokers, and since segregation is a form of punishment, these sections effectively punish smokers. But in view of the facts that smoking is an addiction and that we shouldn t punish people for their addictions, we shouldn t punish smokers.. There shouldn t be smoking and no-smoking sections in restaurants.. This segregates smokers. 3. Segregation is a form of punishment. 4. These sections effectively punish smokers. 5. Smoking is an addiction. 6. We shouldn t punish people for their addictions. 7. We shouldn t punish smokers ) Some people don t think that ethical truths are objective, but they re wrong. Anyone can see that ethical truths are objective. Laws are objective aren t they? What s legal and what s illegal is an objective fact. If this weren t enough, people tend to agree about what s right and wrong. Certain things are recognized by everyone as good or bad. Finally, without an objective right and wrong, there could be no Heaven or Hell. Obviously, then, ethical truths are objective.. There is an objective right and wrong.. Laws are objective. 3. People tend to agree about what s right and wrong. 4. Without an objective right and wrong, there could be no Heaven or Hell ) We should have the death penalty. It has the potential to be an effective deterrent, it s sanctioned by the Bible, and it satisfies the human desire for revenge.. We should have the death penalty.. The death penalty has the potential to be an effective deterrent. 3. The death penalty is sanctioned by the Bible. 4. The death penalty satisfies the human desire for revenge. 3 4

7 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 7 6) We should abolish the death penalty in the United States. It s is cruel and unusual punishment and we shouldn t practice cruel and unusual punishment. Besides that, most civilized nations disapprove of the death penalty. Without a doubt, we should get rid of it.. The death penalty should be abolished.. The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. 3. We shouldn t practice cruel and unusual punishment. 4. Most civilized nations disapprove of the death penalty ) I think Brenda should quit smoking. It s a health risk. It sets a bad example for her kids. And given the fact that cigarettes are pretty expensive, she d save a lot of money if she didn t smoke. Without a doubt, she should kick the habit! Of course, I would never nag her about it.. Brenda should quit smoking.. Smoking is a health risk. 3. It sets a bad example for her kids. 4. Cigarettes are pretty expensive. 5. Brenda would save a lot of money if she didn t smoke

8 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 8 8) We definitely shouldn t ban smoking on campus at UWSP! The purpose of a college education is to teach people to make their own decisions and a total ban on smoking will prevent people from deciding on their own whether or not they want to smoke. How can we teach people to make up their own minds if we re banning smoking? Besides, if we allow UWSP to ban smoking then we open the door to all sorts of other intrusions into our private lives since the decision to smoke is a personal one.. We definitely shouldn t ban smoking on campus at UWSP!. The purpose of a college education is to teach people to make their own decisions 3. A total ban on smoking will prevent people from deciding on their own whether or not they want to smoke. 4. If we allow UWSP to ban smoking then we open the door to all sorts of other intrusions into our private lives. 5. The decision to smoke is a personal one ) Smoking is clearly a threat to public health; through second-hand smoke, it harms everyone who happens to be around the smoker. Nobody can deny that smoking is a public health threat. Clearly, though, we shouldn t permit any public health threats on the campus. Besides, people on campus who want smoking to be banned outnumber people on campus who don t want smoking to be banned and the majority should rule. For these reasons and more, smoking should be banned in all indoor and outdoor areas on campus.. Smoking should be banned in all indoor and outdoor areas on campus.. Smoking is clearly a threat to public health. 3. Through second-hand smoke, smoking harms everyone who happen to be around the smoker. 4. We shouldn t permit any public health threats on the campus. 5. People on campus who want smoking to be banned outnumber people on campus who don t want smoking to be banned. 6. The majority should rule

9 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 9 0) Creationism isn t right. It s got to be wrong. First of all, there s evidence supporting evolution. We can trace the natural evolution of some plants and animals through the fossil record and we can direct the evolution of some plants and animals through selective breeding. Evolution is backed up by good scientific evidence. Second, the Bible says that God exists, but the Bible is wrong about some things.. Creationism isn t right.. There s evidence supporting evolution. 3. We can trace the natural evolution of some plants and animals through the fossil record. 4. We can direct the evolution of some plants and animals through selective breeding. 5. The Bible says that God exists. 6. The Bible is wrong about some things ) If evolution is taught in public school, then creationism should be taught as well. We can t recreate evolution in a laboratory. We can t rewind the universe to see exactly how humans got here. We haven t found a continual chain of skeletal remains that link us to the apes. When you think about it like this, you can see that evolution is just a theory. Creationism is a theory too. So both accounts of human origin are equally respectable and if one is taught in public school, the other should be, too.. If evolution is taught in public school, then creationism should be taught as well.. We can t recreate evolution in a laboratory. 3. We can t rewind the universe to see exactly how humans got here. 4. We haven t found a continual chain of skeletal remains that link us to the apes. 5. Evolution is just a theory. 6. Creationism is a theory. 7. Both accounts of human origin are equally respectable

10 Critical Thinking, Chapter 0 Arguments in Numbered-Line Form 0 ) If ethics were objective then ethical facts would be a type of scientific fact, right? If ethics were objective then ethical facts would exist independently of what we happen to think of them, and scientific facts exist independently of our opinion. But ethical facts aren t a type of scientific fact because we can t derive an ought from an is. Furthermore, in view of the fact that if ethics were objective then ethical facts would exist independently of what we happen to think of them, if ethics were objective, ethical facts wouldn t depend upon us. Ethical facts do depend upon us, though. Doesn t ethics have to do with human beings?. Ethics aren t objective.. If ethics were objective then ethical facts would be a type of scientific fact. 3. If ethics were objective then ethical facts would exist independently of what we happen to think of them. 4. Scientific facts exist independently of our opinion. 5. Ethical facts aren t a type of scientific fact. 6. We can t derive an ought from an is. 7. If ethics were objective, ethical facts wouldn t depend upon us. 8. Ethical facts do depend upon us. 9. Ethics has to do with human beings