When analyzing an argument we must “judge the claim that’s made and the reasons offered for it.” (Porter, 2002, pg. 2) A claim needs a foundation of support before it should be believed. Strong, valid arguments should be free of contradictions and logical fallacies. While analyzing the argument “A Discourse on God”, I will show the different components that are that are weak. I will point out the fallacies within the arguments and explain why they would be considered fallacious. Throughout the article both sides present poorly reasoned arguments, containing fallacies, weakly supported claims and seemed to try to use tricks to “win” their arguments instead of having a logical, structured argument.
The Professor
Weak Points The argument starts off with the professor asking if God created everything. One of the replies that God did and the professor argues using the straw man fallacy to twist the reply. The professor stated that “If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil.” In my opinion, the professor may be trying to state that if God created everything including evil, than God is evil, but if God is evil than he can’t be “all good”, as many people may …show more content…
After the student finished, the professor could have pointed out that the student’s argument was begging the question, therefore it was fallacious. The student stated that, “Evil is simply the absence of God.” Thus implying in the definition that God exists without any proof to the contrary. He could have also asked what the similarities between “cold” and “heat”, “darkness” and “light” had anything to do with “evil” and “God”. The argument that “evil” is the “absence of God” could be touched on, such as, are all atheists “evil”? Or anyone who is “good” has to believe in
The Professor
Weak Points The argument starts off with the professor asking if God created everything. One of the replies that God did and the professor argues using the straw man fallacy to twist the reply. The professor stated that “If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil.” In my opinion, the professor may be trying to state that if God created everything including evil, than God is evil, but if God is evil than he can’t be “all good”, as many people may …show more content…
After the student finished, the professor could have pointed out that the student’s argument was begging the question, therefore it was fallacious. The student stated that, “Evil is simply the absence of God.” Thus implying in the definition that God exists without any proof to the contrary. He could have also asked what the similarities between “cold” and “heat”, “darkness” and “light” had anything to do with “evil” and “God”. The argument that “evil” is the “absence of God” could be touched on, such as, are all atheists “evil”? Or anyone who is “good” has to believe in