Fallacy Spotting - Assignment Example

Within the recent New York Times editorial “The Death of Adulthood in American Culture”, the reader is engaged with a series of logical flaws that take away from the underlying argument that the piece could otherwise have. Essentially, the author is attempting to direct the reader’s attention to the fact that the current generation is nothing more than an entire generation of overgrown “children”. In affecting this particular argument, the author first exhibits a television show, “mad men”; and attempts to hold it has an example of the way in which adulthood used to be represented within an older era.

Essentially, this is a straw man argument; due to the fact that a given television show was only ever a recent reproduction and historical interpretation of fictional events – not a documentary record of the way in which individuals segued into adulthood and portended themselves. Likewise, the article itself is also indicative of what is known as a “false dilemma”. Essentially, numerous other indications why the current generation might be exhibited certain signs of “immaturity” has to do with the fact that extremely difficult economic times have acquired individuals to move in with their parents, provided them with relatively few opportunities, and restricted the level of maturity that might have otherwise developed.

As such, the dilemma that has been represented is one that is seemingly of choice; namely that the adults of the current generation do not wish to be adults. However, the fact of the matter is that the adult the current generation oftentimes constrained by very real economic realities that define nearly each and every aspect of the way in which they live their lives. Work ConsultedScott, Allen O. "Log In." The New York Times. N.p., 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.