Worksheets

This worksheet below provides a step by step process for finding, developing and evaluating moral arguments. 

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1.     What do you mean, your topic? 

In this section, explain what the issue is, and explain what any unclear terms mean (or, at least, how you are going to use the terms: e.g., what do you mean by ‘an abortion’? What is ‘absolute poverty’?  What do you mean by ‘homosexuality’? etc. Here we basically want an explanation what the issue is and the relevant facts and information. 

How to find these? Reflect on your own observations, talk to fellow students, ask (random) people - interview them just about anywhere, do some internet research using any sources, do some internet research using philosophical sources, etc. 

2.     State the relevant conclusions on the topic, for example:

a.      Doing X is wrong.

b.     Doing X is not wrong.

c.      Doing X is prima facie wrong.

d.     Doing X is wrong in these specified circumstances…

e.      Whatever conclusions are needed, given the goal of having precise conclusions.

3.     Why think that? State the reasons or premises people give, or might give, in favor of these various conclusions. 

How many reasons to find? This depends on your purpose or your assignment. Maybe the top three would do. Maybe 5-10? Should you focus on common reasons, or ones that philosophers focus on? Again that depends on your purpose or assignment.  

4.     Identify any question begging premises at this point: strike those arguments.

5.     Formulate the arguments in logically valid form. (Strike any arguments that are irreparably logically invalid also). 

How many arguments? Again, it depends on your purpose.

6.     Evaluate each argument as sound ( = logically valid and with true or reasonable premises) or not and why.

7.     Tentative conclusions. This might be about just one argument, some of the most common or popular arguments, or broader conclusions, depending on how many arguments you evaluated.

TWO INCOMPLETE SAMPLE BLOGS:

Argument Worksheet This worksheet below provides a step by step process for finding, developing and evaluating moral arguments. Cut and paste the below and fill in the boxes, please.  1.     What do you mean, your topic?  In this section, explain what the issue is, and explain what any unclear terms mean (or, at least, how you are going to use the terms: e.g., what do you mean by ‘an abortion’? What is ‘absolute poverty’?  What do you mean by ‘homosexuality’? etc. Here we basically want an explanation what the issue is and the relevant facts and information. Use this box, please:  In this blog, I am going to discuss the topic of abortion and an argument that abortion is wrong. An abortion is _____. Many people find this issue to be controversial because ______. Some people argue that it is ____, and other people argue that it is ____. In this post I am going to discuss a common argument that it is ____. Although this is an argument that you might often hear, I will show that it is not a good argument 2.     State the relevant conclusion on the topic, for example: a.      Doing X is wrong. b.     Doing X is not wrong. c.      Doing X is prima facie wrong. d.     Doing X is wrong in these specified circumstances… e.      Whatever conclusions are needed, given the goal of having precise conclusions. The conclusion of the argument that I will discuss is this: Abortion is not wrong.  3.     Why think that? State the reasons or premises people give, or might give, in favor of these various conclusions.  How to find these? Reflect on your own observations, talk to fellow students, ask (random) people - interview them just about anywhere, do some internet research using any sources, do some internet research using philosophical sources, etc. Also, your assigned readings and other materials, of course.  How many reasons to find? This depends on your purpose or your assignment. For this assignment, all that’s needed is one. For other occasions, maybe the top three would do. Maybe 5-10? Should you focus on common reasons, or ones that philosophers focus on? Again that depends on your purpose or assignment.   While many reasons are given to believe that abortion is not wrong, I am going to discuss just one here. That abortion is not wrong because of this: some pregnant women want to have abortions.  4.     Identify any question begging premises at this point: strike those arguments. This premise is not question begging: to believe this premise you wouldn’t have to already believe the conclusion of the argument. The premise does not assume the conclusion.  5.     Formulate the arguments in logically valid form. How many arguments? Again, it depends on your purpose. To state this argument in logically valid form, it’d be this: Some pregnant women want to have abortions. If people want to have something, then it’s not wrong for them to have it. Therefore, it’s not wrong for women to have abortions (or abortion is not wrong).  This argument is a syllogism.  6.     Evaluate each argument as sound ( = logically valid and with true or reasonable premises) or not and why. Some pregnant women want to have abortions. If people want to have something, then it’s not wrong for them to have it. Therefore, it’s not wrong for women to have abortions (or abortion is not wrong).  The argument is valid. The first premise is true: some women do want to have abortions. The second premise, however, is false: just because someone wants something doesn’t mean it’s not wrong to have it. For example, someone might want someone else’s shoes, but it’s not OK for them to have their shoes, if they have to steal those shoes from that person. And someone could want someone else hurt, but it’s not ok to do that.  So this argument is not sound: one of the premises is not true.  7.     Tentative conclusions. This might be about just one argument, some of the most common or popular arguments, or broader conclusions, depending on how many arguments you evaluated. While this is only one argument, it is a common argument, but not a good argument, as we can easily see. To more fully understand this issue, we would need to evaluate more arguments.

INCOMPLETE SAMPLE BLOGS:

Argument Worksheet This worksheet below provides a step by step process for finding, developing and evaluating moral arguments. Cut and paste the below and fill in the boxes, please.  1.     What do you mean, your topic?  In this section, explain what the issue is, and explain what any unclear terms mean (or, at least, how you are going to use the terms: e.g., what do you mean by ‘an abortion’? What is ‘absolute poverty’?  What do you mean by ‘homosexuality’? etc. Here we basically want an explanation what the issue is and the relevant facts and information. Use this box, please:  In this blog, I am going to discuss the topic of homosexuality. [explain more about the topic: introduce your audience ot the topic] 2.     State the relevant conclusion on the topic, for example: a.      Doing X is wrong. b.     Doing X is not wrong. c.      Doing X is prima facie wrong. d.     Doing X is wrong in these specified circumstances… e.      Whatever conclusions are needed, given the goal of having precise conclusions. The conclusion of the argument that I will discuss is this: Homosexuality is wrong.  3.     Why think that? State the reasons or premises people give, or might give, in favor of these various conclusions.  How to find these? Reflect on your own observations, talk to fellow students, ask (random) people - interview them just about anywhere, do some internet research using any sources, do some internet research using philosophical sources, etc. Also, your assigned readings and other materials, of course.  How many reasons to find? This depends on your purpose or your assignment. For this assignment, all that’s needed is one. For other occasions, maybe the top three would do. Maybe 5-10? Should you focus on common reasons, or ones that philosophers focus on? Again that depends on your purpose or assignment.   While there are many reasons that are given to think that homosexuality is wrong, I am going to focus on one here, namely the claim that: Homosexuality is unnatural.  4.     Identify any question begging premises at this point: strike those arguments. This premise may or may not be question begging. It depends on what someone means by “unnatural.” If by “unnatural” they mean “wrong” then the argument would be question-begging. This is not the meaning I will use though 5.     Formulate the arguments in logically valid form. How many arguments? Again, it depends on your purpose. To state this argument in logically valid form, it’d be this: Homosexuality is unnatural. All unnatural activities or ways of being are wrong.  Therefore, being homosexual is wrong.  This argument is a syllogism.  6.     Evaluate each argument as sound ( = logically valid and with true or reasonable premises) or not and why. Homosexuality is unnatural. All unnatural activities or ways of being are wrong.  Therefore, being homosexual is wrong.  The argument is valid, meaning the premises lead to the conclusion. To explain whether each premise is true or not though, we need to define “unnatural.” By “unnatural” I will mean _____. Given this meaning, the first premise is ______ because. Given this meaning, the second premise is ______ because. So, the argument is ____ 7.     Tentative conclusions. This might be about just one argument, some of the most common or popular arguments, or broader conclusions, depending on how many arguments you evaluated. While this is only one argument, it is a common argument, and ____. To more fully understand this issue, we would need to evaluate more arguments.