Summary for Chapter 48

Chapter 48 points out the importance of evaluating arguments because sometimes they can be erroneous. When evaluating, you want to look for both logic and fairness. Hacker advises us to begin by distinguishing between reasonable and deceitful argumentative tactics. There are many ways in which an author can be deceiving, so we have to be careful with that. Next, we should look at the emotional appeals of an argument and distinguish between the legitimate and unfair appeals. Finally we can observe the way an author reacts to opposing views and decide whether or not he's being fair about the matter.

Writers can be misleading or unreasonable when it comes to their arguments. They do this by employing different tactics. Like for example, by generalizing which can include stereotypes. Also through analogies, cause and effect, weighing options, assumptions and deducing conclusions. Hacker then suggests that we distinguish between valid and unfair emotional appeals. It's perfectly acceptable to appeal to readers' emotions, but sometimes appeals are misused. When dealing with this we can't let our emotions take over. We have to be logical and think about wether the emotional appeals are legitimate. Then we must observe how the writer handles opposing views. This will let us know a lot about the author. An author can either describe the views of others or they can directly quote an opposing view. Hacker explains that if the author handles opposing views well and with fairness, it's more likely that they can be trusted and that they have credibility.

This information didn't particularly appeal to me as much as previous information, but I did benefit from it. It made me think about how sometimes an author can pose an argument that isn't fair. Next time I read an argument I will think about it more and i'll try to determine whether or not they have a legitimate argument. An argument has to be backed up. It can't just be based on a bunch of information that has been misinterpreted and manipulated. Also when I personally write an argument I want to be honest and fair. I have to do my research and use others opinions wisely. Instead of immediately disagreeing, I can address the arguments fairly and with tact.