What if Toward Excellence in Reasoning by Hintikka & Bachman - Thesis Proposal Example

ARGUMENT ANALYSIS The present passage has been taken from “What if…?: Toward Excellence in Reasoning” by Hintikka & Bachman published in the Bulletin of Science Technology Society in 1992. The authors have discussed waning literacy rate in the United States of America and declared arrival of television as the major reason for decreasing literacy rate. The authors submit that the invention has captured the masses’ attention to an unabated extent because this source of amusement is far more comfortable and attractive in comparison with books and other print media. In the same time, the authors maintain an antipathy regarding people’s proclaiming books as source of entertainment. On the other hand, the authors view books something other than source of spending leisure time. Moreover they opine that it is not only amusement that serves as primary inspiration for the Americans. Rather, seeking knowledge and wisdom also comes into the fold of those very people at large. Before embarking upon the argument analysis, it would be appropriate to make distinction between the statements applied and used in this passage. The statements have been distinguished under the following headings: Simple Statements: “Before the popularity of television skyrocketed in the fifties, reading was a genuine entertainment alternative for most Americans.” Compound Statements: “If you want an explanation for declining literacy rates in the U.S., look no further than the boob tube.” “But for the generations since—who have been raised on instant, no-effort everything—instant, no-effort entertainment is the only choice.” “Spend all the money you choose on studies in an attempt to address the problem, but if you want my advice, you’d be better off unplugging the TV set.” Complex Statements: “And you don’t have to be a sociologist to recognize that the prime motivation for virtually everything Americans do is entertainment; remove the entertainment motive, and you make the prospect of learning to read resemble an exercise in stoicism.” PREMISE AND CONCLUSION: Premise is the part of a statement that serves as a support to the conclusive part of the whole statement; on the other hand, conclusion is the part that expresses final theme of the statement with the help of premise. The argument analyses of the given passage are as under: PREMISE: Statement: “If you want an explanation for declining literacy rates in the U.S.” (Premise) Explanations: In the above statement, Hintikka & Bachman draw out their views regarding decreasing literacy rate in the USA. Statement: “Before the popularity of television skyrocketed in the fifties, (Premise) Explanations: The statement describes that the television had not got popularity before 1950s in the USA.” INTERMEDIATE CONCLUSION: Statement: “But for the generations since—who have been raised on instant, no-effort everything—instant, no-effort entertainment is the only choice.” (Intermediate Conclusion) Explanations: These lines explain that it is not only entertainment, which is sought out by the masses. Rather, books provide the readers with knowledge, wisdom and information too. Thus, television may be a source of amusement, but it is not true that books have been replaced by television because of seeking entertainment only. Statement: “look no further than the boob tube.” (Intermediate Conclusion) Explanations: This part of the statement speaks out television as the root-cause of falling literacy rate. The writers have used the slang phrase i.e. boob tube to mention television. As this part is based on conclusive assumption, and does not emphatically prove the truth and validity of the real picture, it is therefore it can be stated as the intermediate conclusion. FINAL CONCLUSION: Final conclusion refers to the decisive part of a statement, which means to elaborate the wrapping up of an argument. The final conclusion in this paragraph has been stated in the following lines: Statement: “reading was a genuine entertainment alternative for most Americans.” (Final Conclusion) Explanations: Hintikka & Bachman argue that in 1950s the US public was very fond of books and consumed their leisure hours in reading books. Statement: “Spend all the money you choose on studies in an attempt to address the problem, but if you want my advice, you’d be better off unplugging the TV set.” (Final Conclusion) Explanations: These lines disclose the conclusion of the argument, where the writers have refuted the idea that television has led to low literacy rate. Moreover, they do not agree to the notion that unplugging TV might increase trend towards reading. INTERROGATIVE STEPS: An interrogative model in a piece of literature explains where the art and excellence lies in reasoning. The inclusion of why, where, how, when and who etc elucidate refinement of curiosity and logical reasoning while defining a statement. In the given passage, the statement, “Why read a book, which requires the active participation of the reader, when electronic opium is a remote-control button away?” identify skillfully that preference to one thing is surely based on its easy access, attractiveness and advancement. The statement rectifies the authors’ argues that since TV is providing the spectators with multiple choice of entertainment channels in a very quick mode, so it has become very hard to pay due heed to books as an alternative platform of leisure time consumption. Thus, books can be used for knowledge-seeking rather entertainment. CRITICAL APPRECIATION The passage has discussed the problem of falling literacy rate in the USA indicating television as one of the most significant causes. The writers have command over the diction and present the burning issue in a precise way. They have successfully pointed out the changing fashions in the field of entertainment. In the same way, this piece of literature enjoys all the requirements, including apposite inclusion of various modes i.e. premise, intermediate conclusion as well as final conclusion, all of which should be applied in making of a nice work. Nevertheless, the passage obtains few flaws and weaknesses in it. The use of slang term i.e. boob tube presents a low quality impression, which is strictly against the rules and regulations of classical writing style. One should avoid such maxims while discussing social problem of national imperative. Similarly, the writers have failed to blame television as the definite cause of falling education ratio; rather, they have neither described the actual role of TV in creating this problem on the one hand, and how to promote reading trends in public on the other. In the same way, they have not discussed how much informative TV has been and how it is serving the nation in improving their general knowledge and technical knowledge as well. ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY The authors in this passage argue that the literacy rate in the USA has observed a constant decline with the passage of time. There are many reasons for the decline of the same in the country; the most imperative one is invention and popularity of television all over the world. Though television had been introduced in the first half of twentieth century, it had not yet won too much popularity in public. The reason may be its price and limited number of channels. It captured the attention of the people especially from 1950s when it got its place in almost every house, hotel and leisure club. The words expressed by the writers surely carry weight and no body can deny the truthfulness the statement described in the passage. There was a time when people were very fond of reading books and spent their free hours in libraries. Novels, magazines, periodicals and other sources of print media had been field of common interest for elders, children, men and women alike. People used to discuss different writers, poets and playwrights on the one hand and their style, diction and imagination on the other. Students and lovers especially cited the verses and sayings of the popular writers and waited anxiously for he new works as well as new editions of their favorite writers. Critics and their views were particularly observed and examined in order to measure the beauties and charms the work enjoyed. Libraries were full by the readers and sale of books and magazines were at their climax and the stratum related to printing, publishing, selling and maintaining print media witnessed its boom. It not only kept the public connected with the classics of the literature, but also introduced cultural traits and their alterations with the passage of time. The literacy rate also jumped higher and higher in the country and the USA became one of the top ranking countries containing highly educated society. It is fact beyond doubt that every new invention brings significant changes in the patterns and life styles of the people at large. The same is the case with the “boob tube.” The advent of television imperatively altered social set up and regulated the entertainment means and resources to the great extent. People had to go out to far flung libraries to spend their leisure hours. In the same way, libraries were opened and closed for a scheduled time with limited hours. In addition, the books required complete attention and concentration of the readers, while TV contained multiple channels of one’ own choice on the one hand and very speedy and unlimited access on the other. Thus, people looked for television sets by putting aside their centuries’ long romance with books and printed literature. But the question lies is it only amusement that matters in man’s life or should there be something other than that all? This is the question which has been raised by the authors in the paragraph. They maintain that it is not only amusement for which people used to consume their time in libraries and book reading. There was a time when knowledge and vigilance used to earn pelf, prestige, popularity and respect for individuals at large. The advent of TV has not only captured the attraction of book-lovers, but also caused the decline of seeking education too leading towards the downfall of literacy rate in the USA. REFERENCES Jaako Hintikka & James Bachman. What if? Toward Excellence in Reasoning Bulletin of Science Technology Society, 1992,12: 378 Read More