Critical Thinking by Example

Example 10.2: An example of a counter argument

I can’t believe you think we should vote for Senator Smith. The man is a moral degenerate: you admit he is a drunk and a philanderer. We should not have moral degenerates in parliament.

This argument challenges the previous argument. Specifically, it questions the missing premise: it argues that drunkenness and philandering are sufficient reason not to vote for the candidate.

It can be confusing when an author states both the argument and the counterargument in a single place. For example:

Example 10.3: Argument and Counter argument in a single passage

Some say that we should not vote for Smith because he is a moral degenerate. I agree that he is a moral degenerate, but parliament members are supposed to represent all types of people: men, women, tall, short, able-bodied, disabled, all skin colors and moral degenerates. So, drunks and philanders also need a voice in Parliament, and Smith is just the representative for them.

In standardizing this we must be careful to separate out the argument and the counterargument.

Argument:
P1: Smith is a moral degenerate.
C: We should not vote for Smith.

Counterargument:
P1: All types of people should have representatives in parliament.
P2: Being a philanderer and a drunk is to be a type of person.
P3: Smith is a philanderer and a drunk.
C: We should vote for Smith.

Critical Thinking by Example www.criticalthinkingbyexample.com Mark Walker