REVIEWER IN RW

CLAIM- a statement that is not considered accepted by all.

POSITION- if the claim is usually related to one side of an issue.

TIONGSON 2016, 20-21- said that a good claim should be argumentative and debatable

Types of claim;

➢ Claims of facts

➢ Claims of value

➢ Claims of policy

CLAIMS OF FACTS- statements that can be verified, no matter how difficult. Can be true or
false. Fact that are not universally accepted are not considered claims of facts

Ex.

• Santa clause is real.

• Cancer is not contagious

CLAIMS OF VALUE- are evaluative statements. They are statements about which is better.
They may also relate to what is good or bad.

Ex.

• It’s more fun in the Philippines

• This is a very good school

• It’s better to be feared than loved.

CLAIMS OF POLICY- all about what should be. They prescribe a particular course of action that
would led them to a condition.

Ex.

• The death penalty must be revived

• A national ID system should be adopted

CRITICAL READING AS REASONING - MAKING

EVALUATIVE STATEMENTS

● Fallacies are irrelevant points that do not support the claims.

● A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning that occurs when invalid arguments or irrelevant
points are introduced without any evidence to support them.
● The majority of logical fallacies involve arguments-in other words, one or more
statements (called the premise) and a conclusion. The premise is offered in support of
the claim being made, which is the conclusion.

TYPES OF LOGICAL FALLACIES

• SLIPPERY SLOPE

Definition: Establishing the relationship between A and B, and concluding that if A is connected
to B, then A must be connected to C, D, E,...Z also.

Examples:

1. If you don't pass tomorrow's math exam, then you can't take calculus next year. If you
don't take calculus, you won't be accepted into the master's program you want.
Therefore, if you fail tomorrow's math test, you won't get a master's degree!
2. Widening the road will lead to more traffic in town. More cars on the road will lead to
more collisions, which will make our town a dangerous place to drive or walk.

• HASTY GENERALIZATION

Definition: Concluding based on insufficient and/or biased evidence / If it's true in this case, then
it's true in all cases.

Examples:

1. I've met three red heads and they were all mean, so all redheads are mean.
2. Everyone who responded to the survey said the exercise program helped them lose
weight. Therefore, everyone who used the program lost weight.

• POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC

Definition: A happened just before B, so A caused B.

Examples:

1. Every time that rooster crows, the sun comes up. That rooster must be very powerful
and important!
2. My computer crashed after I installed a new piece of editing software. I'm sure the
software caused the crash.

• GENETIC FALLACY

Definition: Assuming that the nature or worth of something depends on its origin rather than its
content.

Examples:
 1. My big brother told me that boys cannot be trusted, and I believe him.
2. I have known the mayor since I was five years old. So, if she says that the
commissioners are corrupt, then it must be true.

• CIRCULAR ARGUMENT

Definition: A proves B. B proves A. (Restating a claim instead of proving it.)

Examples:

1. You have to drive under the speed limit because it's illegal to drive faster than the speed
limit.
2. I can't get a job because I don't have experience. But I can't gain experience without
getting a job.

• EITHER/OR (FALSE DILEMMA FALLACY)

Definition: Oversimplifying a claim by reducing it to two sides of choices/presenting two options

as the only ones available

Examples:

1. It's either you are for the US war on terror or against it.
2. You are either a leader or a follower.

• BEGGING THE QUESTION (PETITIO PRINCIPII)

Definition: Claim X assumes X is true. Therefore, claim X is true. ( The conclusion is assumed
within the premise.)

Examples:

1. Paranormal activity is real because I have experienced what can only be described as
paranormal activity.
2. People like to eat because we are biologically influenced to eat.

• AD HOMINEM

Definition: Attacking the person rather than his/her argument.

Examples:

1. You have no idea what you're talking about; you've only lived here for six months.
2. Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our
next president?

• RED HERRING

Definition: Attempt to redirect a conversation away from its original topic

Examples:
 1. Daughter: "I'm so hurt that Todd broke up with me, Mom." Mother: "Just think of all the
starving children in Africa, honey. Your problems will seem pretty insignificant then."
2. A woman is arguing that she should get a pay raise. Her boss responds that he won't
discuss her pay raise until she stops being so shrill.

• STRAW MAN

Definition: Ignoring a person's actual argument and substituting it with a misinterpreted one so it
is easier to rebut.

Examples:

1. Person 1: Our restaurant's policy is that nobody under eighteen is admitted after 8 p.m.

Person 2: Why are you against families eating dinner together?

Person 1: We welcome guests of all ages before 8 p.m., but at night, we maintain an adults-only
atmosphere.

Person 2: Your restaurant discriminates against families with kids.

• BANDWAGON FALLACY

Definition: Getting people to do or think something because "everyone else is doing it"

Examples:

1. It's okay to cheat on exams because everybody does it.

2. Brandon says to Mark: "Don't do your homework, come to the movies tonight. Everyone
is going to be there."