AWA - Idea!

2. The following appeared in an article in a consumer-products magazine.

“Two of today’s best-selling brands of full-strength prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid, Acid-Ease and Pepticaid, are now available in milder nonprescription forms. Doctors have written 76 million more prescriptions for full-strength Acid-Ease than for full-strength Pepticaid. So people who need an effective but milder non-prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid should choose Acid-Ease.”

1.The following appeared as part of an article in the education section of a Waymarsh City newspaper.

“Throughout the last two decades, those who earned graduate degrees found it very difficult to get jobs teaching their academic specialties at the college level. Those with graduate degrees from Waymarsh University had an especially hard time finding such jobs. But better times are coming in the next decade for all academic job seekers, including those from Waymarsh. Demographic trends indicate that an increasing number of people will be reaching college age over the next ten years; consequently, we can expect that the job market will improve dramatically for people seeking college-level teaching positions in their fields.”

the reasoning goes like this
people with graduate degrees found it difficult to get teaching jobs at the college level
assumption 0: these graduates are finding it difficult to get teaching jobs because of oversupply of graduates compared to jobs
trends indicate that more people will be reaching college age soon
assumption 1: there will be an increase in the number of colleges or entering class sizes.
assumption 2: more people reaching college age means more people will be interested in attending college
combining assumption 1/2 with the trend information: more people will be be in college
assumption 3: an increase in entering class sizes means an increase in teaching staff (instead of an increase in student:prof ratio)
assumption 4: there will not be a significant increase in the number of people with graduate degrees who want to teach
=> our conclusion: the increase in demand for teaching staff will improve the job market for people with graduate degrees seeking college level teaching positions in their fields.

2. The following appeared in an article in a consumer-products magazine.

“Two of today’s best-selling brands of full-strength prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid, Acid-Ease and Pepticaid, are now available in milder nonprescription forms. Doctors have written 76 million more prescriptions for full-strength Acid-Ease than for full-strength Pepticaid. So people who need an effective but milder non-prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid should choose Acid-Ease.”

let's discuss how to weak this argument, and what are the flaws of reasoning.

Throughout the last two decades, those who earned graduate degrees found it very difficult to get jobs teaching their academic specialties at the college level. Those with graduate degrees from Waymarsh University had an especially hard time finding such jobs. But better times are coming in the next decade for all academic job seekers, including those from Waymarsh. Demographic trends indicate that an increasing number of people will be reaching college age over the next ten years; consequently, we can expect that the job market will improve dramatically for people seeking college-level teaching positions in their fields.

> The University recruiting panel is considering a move to recruit only those candidates who have atleast one post graduate degree.

> increasing number of high school students are interested in sports, Navy and army.This is not mentioned in demographic records.

What are you talking about? Can you explain your post?

1.The following appeared as part of an article in the education section of a Waymarsh City newspaper.

“Throughout the last two decades, those who earned graduate degrees found it very difficult to get jobs teaching their academic specialties at the college level. Those with graduate degrees from Waymarsh University had an especially hard time finding such jobs. But better times are coming in the next decade for all academic job seekers, including those from Waymarsh. Demographic trends indicate that an increasing number of people will be reaching college age over the next ten years; consequently, we can expect that the job market will improve dramatically for people seeking college-level teaching positions in their fields.”

2. The following appeared in an article in a consumer-products magazine.

“Two of today’s best-selling brands of full-strength prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid, Acid-Ease and Pepticaid, are now available in milder nonprescription forms. Doctors have written 76 million more prescriptions for full-strength Acid-Ease than for full-strength Pepticaid. So people who need an effective but milder non-prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid should choose Acid-Ease.”
reasoning goes like this
doctors prescribe full-strength acid ease more often than full-strength pepticaid
assumption 1: doctors always prescribe medicine x over medicine y because x is more effective than y
therefore full-strength acid ease is more effective than full-strength pepticaid
assumption 2: the milder non-prescription medication's relative effectiveness mirrors their full-strength counterparts
assumption 3: people who need an effective but milder non-prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach prefer to buy medicine solely based on how effective a medicine is
conclusion: people who need an effective but milder non-prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach should choose acid-ease

attack any of the assumptions to weaken the conclusion - jallenmorris provided 3 good examples of attacking assumption #1.


let's discuss how to weak this argument, and what are the flaws of reasoning.

> The University recruiting panel is considering a move to recruit only those candidates who have atleast one post graduate degree.

> increasing number of high school students are interested in sports, Navy and army.This is not mentioned in demographic records.


premise: More students will be reaching college age . will be joining colleges next 10 years.
Conclusion: So more college level teaching jobs will be opening up.

I mean
1) a graduate degree by it self does not earn a job for you as college- level teaching faculty.You need something like a PHD or a doctarate to be eligible for this.

2) Demographic records show an increasing number of people will be reaching college age over the next ten years. Students have to pass High school to get to college right.If students are not increasing interested in joining other lucrative professions which does not need college degree..so they dont need to do a degree right.

am i making sense.

1.The following appeared as part of an article in the education section of a Waymarsh City newspaper.

“Throughout the last two decades, those who earned graduate degrees found it very difficult to get jobs teaching their academic specialties at the college level. Those with graduate degrees from Waymarsh University had an especially hard time finding such jobs. But better times are coming in the next decade for all academic job seekers, including those from Waymarsh. Demographic trends indicate that an increasing number of people will be reaching college age over the next ten years; consequently, we can expect that the job market will improve dramatically for people seeking college-level teaching positions in their fields.”

the reasoning goes like this
people with graduate degrees found it difficult to get teaching jobs at the college level
assumption 0: these graduates are finding it difficult to get teaching jobs because of oversupply of graduates compared to jobs
trends indicate that more people will be reaching college age soon
assumption 1: there will be an increase in the number of colleges or entering class sizes.
assumption 2: more people reaching college age means more people will be interested in attending college
combining assumption 1/2 with the trend information: more people will be be in college
assumption 3: an increase in entering class sizes means an increase in teaching staff (instead of an increase in student:prof ratio)
assumption 4: there will not be a significant increase in the number of people with graduate degrees who want to teach
=> our conclusion: the increase in demand for teaching staff will improve the job market for people with graduate degrees seeking college level teaching positions in their fields.

2. The following appeared in an article in a consumer-products magazine.

“Two of today’s best-selling brands of full-strength prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid, Acid-Ease and Pepticaid, are now available in milder nonprescription forms. Doctors have written 76 million more prescriptions for full-strength Acid-Ease than for full-strength Pepticaid. So people who need an effective but milder non-prescription medication for the relief of excess stomach acid should choose Acid-Ease.”

let's discuss how to weak this argument, and what are the flaws of reasoning.
some of my assumptions overlap, but I did it really quickly and the result needs to be vetted before putting into an outline for this AWA.
no time to discuss the second one for now (lunch time) but will discuss later

to weaken the argument, attack any of the assumptions

I suppose the question would read something like "Discuss the reasoning behind the conclusinos drawn in the passage."

In no particular order:
1) Acid-Ease may offer better incentives to doctors for prescribing their product.

2) The reason Acid-Ease gets prescribed more may have nothing to do with it's effectiveness in relieving acid. The other may have bad side effects so doctors choose a different medicine.

3) Acid-Ease may be cheaper in any dosage so doctors are sensitive to their patients need for a cheaper medicine.

....my first three thoughts....maybe more later.