Critical Reading and Critique: Part 3

Monty Python’s Fallacies

How many did you find?

Let’s share the results.

Exploring Reasons for Agreement and Disagreement

Exercise 2.4

Go to a website that presents short persuasive essays on current social issues, such as reason.com, opinion-pages.org, drudgereport.com or speakout.com. Locate a selection ona topic of interest that takes a clear, argumentative position.

Write one paragraph summarizing the key argument.

Write two paragraphs articulating your agreement or disagreement with the author.

Devote each of the two paragraphs to a single point.

For Class Discussion

Title and author of website

Argument made

Your take on it

The Key is Identifying the Assumptions

Assumptions are the foundation on which arguments are built.

You must identify them accurately and fairly.

Your Job is to Evaluate the Assumptions

You will determine the validity of the assumptions based on your own:

experience

observations

reading

values

The Critique

Determine what an author says

How well the points are made

What assumptions underlie the argument

What issues are overlooked

What implications can be drawn from such an analysis

A Good Critique

Fair and accurate

Draw on and cite information from other sources

Include a statement of your assumptions

Exercise 2.5

Write an informal response to the critique.

What are its strengths and weaknesses?

To what extent does the critique follow the general Guidelines for Writing Critiques