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Exercises 1.11 Exercises

1.

Identify a definition that your generation holds that can vary from the definition held by a previous generation. This may or may not be related to women’s health.

2.

Find an article that presents an opinion about women’s health that differs from your own. Identify the assumptions in the article. Can you find any fallacies within the presented argument? Why or why not?

3.

Some people believe that taking the morning after pill (a medication that triggers the shedding of the uterine lining in females in order to prevent pregnancy) is a form of abortion. What terms and assumptions would be part of the argument if you were to argue on either side? (Note: You may have to form an argument in order to complete this exercise.)

4.

A common logical fallacy is called circular reasoning. In circular reasoning the premise and the conclusion state the same idea. Find an example of a circular reasoning fallacy related to women's health and propose a strategy for respectful refutation.

5.

Below is a list of common fallacies in everyday arguments. Investigate these arguments and then find an example of this fallacy involving reproductive rights. Explain how this fallacy is used to make a persuasive case.

  1. Missing the point

  2. Post hoc

  3. Slippery slope

  4. Weak analogy

  5. Appeal to authority

  6. Appeal to authority

  7. Ad hominem and tu quoque

  8. Appeal to pity

  9. Appeal to ignorance

  10. Straw man

  11. Red herring

  12. False dichotomy

  13. Begging the question

  14. Equivocation