I) (This Section pertains to chapter 4– These are NOT categorical syllogisms.) Put the argument into standard form and then identify the INFORMAL fallacies that are committed (if any).  Make sure to both defineand explain how the INFORMAL fallacies are committed. (9)

Example: In his History of the America Civil War, Jeffry Noland argues that the war had little to do with slavery.  However, as a historian from Alabama, Noland could not possibly present an accurate account.  Therefore, his arguments should be discounted.

Answer:

P: In his History of the America Civil War, Jeffry Noland argues that the war had little to do with slavery.

P: As a historian from Alabama, Noland could not possibly present an accurate account.

C: His arguments should be discounted.

Fallacy: Ad Hominem – an attack against a, generally irrelevant, characteristic of the person.

Explanation: Whether Noland is from the South or not should not automatically undermine his expertise in the area in which he’s studied.

A crust of bread is better than nothing.  Nothing is better is than true love.  So a crust of bread is better than true love.

We’ve all heard that millions of Americans are without adequate health care.  But America’s doctors, nurses, and hospitals are among the best in the world.  Thousands of people come from abroad every year to be treated here.  Clearly there is nothing wrong with our health care system.

On Friday, I took Jeff out to dinner.  He told me that if I wasn’t interested in a serious relationship, I should forget about dating him.  On Saturday I took Dave to a film.  When we discussed it afterward over a drink, he could understand why I wasn’t interested in babies.  Men are all alike.  All they want is a secure marriage.

 

II) Use the traditional square of opposition along with conversion, obversion, and contraposition to determine the truth value of the second sentence is each pair. (6)

Example: All people who disagree with religion are saints. (T)

Some sinners agree with religion.

Answer: The terms don’t match up in two ways: they aren’t in the right spots (the subject and predicate terms are different in each sentence) and they are complements (i.e. sinners are non-saints.) So I need to get the right terms in the right spots and I can do that using contraposition on the first sentence. That gives me “All sinners are people who agree with religion.”

So now my two sentences are

All sinners are people who agree with religion. (T)

Some sinners agree with religion.

The top sentence is an A proposition and the bottom sentence is an I proposition. I know from the relationship of subalternation that if an A position is true and I proposition must also be true.

Final Answer: The second sentence must be true.

Some integers which are even numbers are not prime. (T)

All non-prime numbers are odd integers.

All inflammable substances are high in carbon isotopes. (T)

No incombustible substances are low in carbon isotopes.

 

III) Translate the following into standard form categorical propositions.  If there are multiple translation options list all of them. (8)

Example: Only the smartest will succeed.

Answer: All people who will succeed are people who are the smartest.

Everyone who races will get a medal except those who didn’t finish.

Not all ghosts are friendly.

Cara is cool.

Kaitlyn is never not on time.

IV) Restate the following in standard categorical syllogism form – make every attempt to have it in a valid mood and figure if possible. If it’s invalid, list the relevant rules and fallacies. (Have a look a Chapter 6, part E and F.) (9).

Example: Not any dandelion is a feline, for every dandelion is a plant and no cat is a plant.

Answer: No felines are plants.

All dandelions are plants.

No dandelions are felines.

EAE 2: Valid

Since each and every pachyderm is a vertebrate, we may conclude that only some arthropods such as shrimp, crabs, and lobsters are elephantine animals, for there is an invertebrate that is a crustacean.

There are handsome men, but only man is vile, so it is false that nothing is both vile and handsome.

All schools that are driven by careerism are schools that do not emphasize liberal arts.  It follows that some some universities are not institutions that emphasize liberal arts, for some schools that are not driven by careerism are universities.

 

BONUS!!

For any 2 of the following, indicate what categorical proposition will yield a valid syllogism. If no proposition will, indicate that the argument is invalid. (You may use a Venn Diagram as well as the rules for enthymemes) (1.5 each.  Answer ONLY two.  If you answer more than two I’ll only grade the first two.)

Encouraging toy-gun play gives children a clear message that the best way to  deal with frustration and conflict is with a gun.  Is this message that we want to be sending to our kids?

If you did your homework, which you did, then you should be able to identify the form of this syllogism.

Since no popular political candidates are people who were alive in 1901, and Hillary Clinton is not a person who was alive in 1901, you know what follows!

Some cats are not polecats, so some polecats are malodorous beasts.

Global Media.

You have earned 2 point(s) out of 2 point(s) thus far.

Media Imperialism

Global media and cultural imperialism:  Media can be used to influence other peoples and nations. With the media seen as powerful in influencing the ideas of living, the logical step is to “flood” a country with our media so that they absorb our ideas. This has been happening, either intentionally as propaganda or not, every more with the ease of digital transmission of mass media.

 

A. The stages of globalization have evolved from direct to indirect influence.

1. Stage 1. 1492-1800. Governments projected power beyond their borders.

a. Christopher Columbus “taking” the new world by force.

b. King Leopold “taking” the Congo for his personal benefit.

c. These imperialist conquests were morally wrong, difficult to control and ultimately cost ineffective.

2. Stage 2. 1800-1900’s. Multinational companies projected power beyond their borders.

a. The advent of low transportation costs and cheap publishing/reproduction let a single book, film or record be spread across many nations.

i. Dickens books made many Americans into Anglophiles: admirers of everything British.

ii. France was influential in science for decades through it’s works: Jules Verne “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, Mieles “From the Earth to the Moon.”

b. A country could influence others without military adventurism

i. The U.S. books by Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe made many other nations think well of the U.S.

ii. Coca-cola was distributed worldwide since the 1940’s and made many people think positively of the US through this product.

3. Stage 3.  2000-today. Individuals have a role in influence with unrestricted access to get information from other nations  and to project their ideas.

a. This is closest to the “global village” concept of Marshall McLuhan, where the world is an equal communication among all peoples.

b. Your access to media from other nations is far more than previous generations had.

i.  BBC news, top gear, Dr. Who BBC ratings in America            longawayround

ii. Foreign news such as Russia Today and Al Jazeera lets us access the ideas of other nations easily.

 

B. The Media Imperialism fear is that this spread of media products can be used to “impose” our values on other nations.

1. The media imperialism argument is that local culture is eroded or abandoned by natives in favor of attractive media that unfortunately do not fit well with their real lives.

a. Disney was specifically commissioned by the US government in the 1940’s to create Disney material for war propaganda. This also promoted capitalism and combatted communist ideas.

 

 

b. Television programs, and their inherent values, are sent worldwide: Baywatch was seen by 1 billion people every week. US programs are highly popular in China.

 

2. The attractiveness of media products produced by large corporations is such that local products are less influential for citizens.

a. Up to 80% of all films seen worldwide in 1930 were from the U.S., leading to “the American dream” for many populations.

b. US values have been spread through records, comic books, films and tv programs throughout the last century.

 

 

Rammstein – Amerika (Official Video)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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c. The unique cultural values seen in other nation’s media are overwhelmed, and little seen, as large corporate productions garner audiences.

i. The most popular Turkish films are virtually unseen in the U.S.

ii. Classic Canadian shorts are almost unknown just across the border in the U.S.

 

 

 

 

Paddle To The Sea – Classic Children’s Film – Part 1 of 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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C. Fightback is government regulation to limit cultural imperialism by supporting/mandating local content.

1. Scandinavian countries require at least 50% local content to avoid the submersion of their own values.

2. China has own version of game shows, dating shows, drama

 

 

Chinese Game Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Telenovellas are popular in Latin America as Turkish soap operas are the most popular throughout the Middle East.

 

 

 

[Turkish Soap Opera] Güneşin Kızları-Nazli&Savaş

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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iranian-youtube

 

 

 

Global Media.

You have earned 2 point(s) out of 2 point(s) thus far.

Theories of the Press.

 

 

Theories of the press: Governments of countries take different actions in controlling/promoting mass media depending on how influential they believe it is on citizen beliefs. The more influence they feel it has, the more control they want to impose upon it. When looking at media throughout the world there are 4 basic perspectives in how it is approached.

 

A. Authoritarian is the crudest and most controlling approach to media. It comes about when governments see the media as very influential and the people as needing to be controlled.

1. The government will either own or control all media.

a. China employs extensive censorship of traditional and digital media to present “approved views” only to the public.

 

b. North Korean media must never criticize the leader.  They extensively circulate posters with their ideology clearly expressed.

c. Russia will close or buy media in order to only get messages supportive to the government.

d. Saudi Arabia bans any media that challenge the government or clerics.

 

2. This level of control only works effectively with low income countries.

a. Zimbabwe is a poorer country where a board of censors can filter all media in the country.

b. China, by comparison, is finding it almost impossible to stop all people from bypassing censorship to get outside media.

It uses over 2 million censors at costs of over $770 million a year to try to maintain control.

 

 

B. Libertarian is the least repressive approach to media. It assumes that all ideas will be freely circulated to the public and that the informed citizens will make wise decisions from this.

1. This assumes that all ideas will be fully available to the public, including differing views on politics, economics and social policy.

a. Low censorship lets both good and bad ideas be expressed to the public.

 

b. An informed audience is expected to contrast and compare these ideas to follow the most reasonable ones.

 

2. The media are low regulated in the expectation that they will be “Watchdogs of the government”, bringing light to any problems and emphasizing good actions to keep in continuance.

  

 

3. An independent media for force change in the governance of society for the greater good.

a. The civil rights legislation of the 1950’s and 60’s was forced on government as media relentlessly exposed the problems of continuing racism.

President Johnson signed the civil rights bill even though he didn’t believe it was a good idea, stating that “We’ve lost the South for a generation.”

believing that racist southerns would leave the Democratic party.

b. Watergate coverage of the 1970’s forced President Nixon to resign.

c. Media coverage of the Balkans massacres of the 1990’s forced President Clinton to intervene with military force.

 

4. Minor regulations will be used to try to correct for problems in capitalist media.

a. Libel and slander laws attempt to keep untruths to a low level.

b. TV broadcasters must have 4 hours of “quality” children’s programming per week.

 

 

C. Social responsibility is a moderate approach to mass media, believing that it should be easily available and cover many viewpoints, but needs directing for “The public good”.

The media should be influenced to present ideas and programs that are “a step above” current public taste in order to encourage them to improve.

1. These “responsible” systems rely much less on advertising revenue, and so require other ways of funding their productions.

a. Great Britain has a color tv fee of $232 per year. The Germany broadcast system has a month media fee for citizens of $20 per month. Japan has a public tv fee of $225 per year.

b. These fees provide public programming that is commercial free as well as able to cover controversial topics to help public learning.

i. BBC programs, while entertaining, usually include more social commentary and character/plot depth that the commercial-free experience can allow.

ii. German programs allow the inclusion of unique cultural identifiers and coverage of serious subjects people should know about.

iii. The most respected news worldwide are from these publicly-funded systems: BBC News, NHK Japanese News.

2. The programming looks very familiar to Libertarian audiences, but they have significant elements to identify them as “more responsible”.

a. Social responsibility groups have programs/films edited to take out harmful elements, but keep the basic plots and ideas.

b. British Idol programs include more classical singers and artists than US similar programs, but are still entertaining.

 

 

 

Paul Potts sings Nessun Dorma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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c. Entertaining programs do not need to be so frenetic in their pace, and can be more honest in their evaluations of ideas and products.

 

 

Corvette Z06 Review | Top Gear | BBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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D.  Developmental media occurs in nations that have very limited resources and need to use media for  necessary training to improve society.

1. This only is effective in very poor nations with virtually no ability to have a selection of media. What is available must be used to try to counteract the negative effects of a poor educational system and low access to any information.

a. Community radio in Africa lets groups discuss important information such as farming tips and new job idea.

b. TV in India informs farmers about how to plant crops in sequence for better yields.

 

 

Single, Double and Multiple Cropping in Agriculture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2. People in these nations that gain access to entertainment media generally choose that instead.

a. Local-origin programming use ideas of interest to local audiences, often serving a knowledge function as well.

 

 

Khar Bii 2012 – Finale Louga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CONCLUSION: The more influence you believe the media has the more control you will feel it deserves. The happy medium appears to be in social responsibility; privately owned but government regulated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

· We covered 4 theories of how to manage mass media: authoritarian, libertarian, social responsibility and developmental. Examine the following program to answer two questions:

State which theory it operates under.

Describe one key element of it’s construction that identifies it clearly as operating under your choice.