Shivangisharmaa wrote:
Can someone pls explain how we understood that 'Using licenses...is un-American' is the conclusion?
I took the conclusion to be the last line 'In time, this could make other limits on freedom acceptable'.
Thank you in advance
Every part of a CR argument is one of four things: premise, conclusion, counterpoint, or background. Background is dull--just information to 'ground' you in the argument. Counterpoints can have their own full 'premise conclusion,' and some premises are also 'intermediate conclusions,' but everything should fit into these buckets.
If 'this could make other limits on freedom acceptable' is the main conclusion, then what role does the 'using licenses is unamerican' play? It's not background--it's far too opinionated. It's not a counterpoint--it fits in line with the author's argument. So it's either premise or conclusion. If it's a premise, it supports the conclusion. If it's a conclusion, it's supported by the premise.
For such a situation, use the 'therefore/because' test:
'Using licenses is unamerican; therefore, it could make other limits on freedom acceptable.'
(Using licenses could make other limits on freedom acceptable because it is unamerican).
Or
'Using licenses could make other limits on freedom acceptable; therefore, it is unamerican.'
(it is unamerican to use licenses because it could make other limits on freedom acceptable).
The second version makes sense--the first does not. So the main conclusion is that using licenses this way is unamerican.
We have a bit of an intermediate conclusion with the statement you thought was the conclusion. The logic of the argument is something like:
Using licenses as nat'l ID ~ carring papers ---> allow governments to track movements--->could bring other limits on freedom----->using licenses this way is unamerican
Since the possible new limits on freedom is based on the premises that using nat'l IDs could lead to the gov't tracking movements, it is a 'conclusion.' But it also supports the main conclusion, so it's a 'premise.' These are what we typically call 'intermediate conclusion,' or 'premises for which support is provided.'