EXERCISES

A.  Use the following terms in expressed propositions:—­

1.  Immigration. 2.  Elevated railways. 3.  American history. 4.  Military training. 5.  Single session. 6.  Athletics.

B.  Explain the following propositions:—­

1.  The United States should adopt a free-trade policy. 2.  Is vivisection justifiable? 3.  The author has greater influence than the orator. 4.  The civil service system should be abolished. 5.  The best is always cheapest.

C.  Can you restate the following propositions so that the meaning of each will be made more definite?

1.  Athletics should be abolished. (Should all athletic exercises be
    abolished?)

2.  Latin is better than algebra. (Better for what purpose? Better for
    whom?)

3.  Training in domestic arts and sciences should be provided for high
    school pupils. (Define domestic arts and sciences.  Should they be
    taught to all high school pupils?)

4.  Punctuality is more important than efficiency.

5.  The commercial course is better than the classical course.

6.  A city should control the transportation facilities within its limits.

+Theme XCVI.+—­Write out an argument favoring one of the propositions as restated in Exercise C above.

(Before writing, make a brief as indicated in Section 77.  Consider the arrangement of your argument.)

+173.  Clear Thinking Essential to Argument.+—­Having clearly in mind the proposition which we wish to prove, we next proceed to give arguments in its support.  The very fact that we argue at all assumes that there are two sides to the question.  If we hope to have another accept our view we must present good reasons.  We cannot convince another that a proposition is true unless we can tell him why it is true; and certainly we cannot tell him why until we know definitely our own reasons for believing the statement.  In order to present a good argument we must be clear logical thinkers ourselves; that is, we must be able to state definite reasons for our beliefs and to draw the correct conclusions.

+174.  Inductive Reasoning.+—­One of the best preparations for trying to convince others is for us to consider carefully our own reasons for believing as we do.  Minds act in a similar manner, and what leads you and me to believe certain truths will be likely to cause others to believe them also.  A brief consideration of how our belief in the truth of a proposition has been established will indicate the way in which we should present our material in order to cause others to believe the same proposition.  If you ask yourself the question, What leads me to believe as I do? the answer will undoubtedly be effective in convincing others.

Are the following propositions true or false?  Why do you believe or refuse to believe each?