Overview
Read Essay #5 More Innocents Die When We Don't Have Capitol Punishment from Appendix B in the back of the textbook
Requirements:
1. A Word or PDF file (no Pages/mac files), Double-spaced with a 12 point font and 1 inch margins. 800-900 words.
2. Avoid long, flowery introductions. Get right to the point.
3. The first part will outline Dennis Prager's argument. This means identifying the premises and conclusion and summarizing the support for them. Is the argument deductive or inductive? Valid? Strong? Review chapter 3 for this purpose.
4. The second part will assess the strength of the argument using principles, concepts and tools from Chapters 4-6. Is there a problem with the evidence? Are fallacies being made? The student's own research is also advisable, but not necessary.
5. The essay will take a position on the argument and explain and defend it. That is, the essay should either agree or disagree and state why, which should be focused on the evidence and argument.
*IMPORTANT: This isn't an opinion paper on capital punishment per se, but a critical analysis of a specific argument. The student must produce a principled analysis and evidence. This means that correctly identifying the premises and assessing their truth will be vital to one's success. Our feelings about the argument in question are irrelevant. What matters is what we can prove.
https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-power-of-critical-thinking-effective-reasoning-about-ordinary-and-extraordinary-claims-e157146018.html