William Jamison - Instructor
Introduction to Logic - Phil 101
Test 1
Directions: Answer any three of the questions below in three essays. Essays may be as long as you feel necessary, but must be at least 300 words each, and should demonstrate an understanding of the main point of the question and it's relevance for us today. Avoid plagiarism! They should be e-mailed to: wsjamison@UAA.ALASKA.EDU.
1. You have been tasked to select the music for a friends wedding. You need four pieces, one for while the guests are arriving, one for the brides procession, one for a mediative period during the service, and the recessional. Which pieces would you select and how would you say those choices were a logical fit for the wedding? (You can have fun with this - and include links to the music you select in your essay, but treat this seriously as if it were a good friend trusting you to do this.)
2. Two friends are arguing over the topic of abortion. One friend considers abortion murder. The other friend insists that the fetus is not a person and so not murder at all. How would you mediate between the two so that they can better understand one another? (On the topic of a person perhaps this definition would help.)
3. Analyse a couple of jokes and compare them to logical fallacies. Do you think the various types of fallacies are a guide to different styles of jokes?
4. What is the difference between opinion pieces in the newspapers and an objective news article? Give an example of both.
5. Why are moral arguments considered unscientific? Give an example of each, a moral argument and a scientific argument.
6. How can different models of the cosmos be understood as mutually coherent even when they seem obviously contradictory?
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