Essay Flashcards
Intro
The argument claims that …
Stated in this way the argument
a) manipulates facts and conveys a distorted view of the situation
b) reveals examples of leap of faith, poor reasoning and ill-defined terminology
c) fails to mention several key factors, on the basis of which it could be evaluated
The conclusion of the argument relies on assumptions for which there is no clear evidence. Hence, the argument is weak/unconvincing and has several flaws.
First
First, the argument readily assumes that……
This statement is a stretch….
For example,…
Clearly,…
The argument could have been much clearer if it explicitly stated that…
Second
Second, the argument claims that….
This is again a very weak and unsupported claim as the argument does not demonstrate any correlation between….and…
To illustrate,…
While,…
However,….indeed….
In fact, it is not at all clear…rather….
If the argument had provided evidence that…..then the argument would have been a lot more convincing.
Third
Finally,…
(pose some questions for the argument)…..Without convincing answers to these questions, one is left with the impression that the claim is more of a wishful thinking rather than substantive evidence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the argument is flawed for the above-mentioned reasons and is therefore unconvincing. It could be considerably strengthened if the author clearly mentioned all the relevant facts….
In order to assess the merits of a certain situation/decision, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors. In this particular case….
Without this information, the argument remains unsubstantiated and open to debate.