Practice Exercises: Chapter 5

Group 1: The Logic of Analogy

Evaluate the following analogical arguments. Identify if the analogy is Factual or Moral, and determine if the argument is Strong or Weak based on the presence of relevant differences (negative analogies).

1. “Just as a captain is the absolute authority on a ship at sea to ensure everyone’s safety, a CEO should have absolute authority over their employees to ensure the company’s success.”

2. “The last time the global temperature rose by this many degrees in a short period, it resulted in a mass extinction event. We are currently seeing a similar rise in temperature; therefore, we will likely see a similar extinction event.”

3. “If you wouldn’t allow a stranger to walk into your house and take your physical mail, you shouldn’t allow corporations to track and take your private digital data.”

4. “Investments are like a roller coaster; they have high peaks and low valleys. Since we are at a low valley right now, the only logical next step is that the value will go back up.”

Group 2: Deconstructing Advertising Tactics

Identify the specific tactic being used: Weasel Words, Identification, Slogan, or Complimentary Copy.

5. A high-end watch advertisement features a world-renowned tennis player wearing the watch while lifting a trophy. No text explains the watch’s features.

6. A headline in a health magazine reads “The Science of Better Sleep,” followed by an article that mentions a specific brand of mattress five times. The mattress company also has a full-page ad on the opposite page.

7. A cleaning product claims that its new formula “virtually eliminates up to 99% of common household odors.”

8. A fast-food chain uses the phrase “I’m Lovin’ It” at the end of every commercial.

Group 3: Media Manipulation and Representation

Select the best term to describe the phenomenon in each scenario: Splicing, Gatekeeping, Insecurity Factory, or Hasty Generalization (Stereotyping).

9. A political ad shows a candidate saying “I will raise taxes,” but the original unedited footage shows them saying, “My opponent claims I will raise taxes, but that is a lie.”

10. A news network decides not to cover a major scientific discovery about climate change, choosing instead to lead with a 20-minute segment on a celebrity’s divorce.

11. A skin-care commercial uses 4K high-definition cameras and digital filtering to show a “before and after” of a woman’s face, implying that her natural skin texture is a defect that needs fixing.

12. In a popular action movie, the three villains are all from the same ethnic background and are portrayed as irrational and violent, while the hero is portrayed as calm and rational.

Answer Key

Group 1

1. Moral Analogy / Weak. While both involve leadership, the relationship between a captain and a crew (lives at stake in a dangerous environment) is fundamentally different from a CEO and employees (economic contract where employees have the right to leave/organize).

2. Factual Analogy / Strong. This relies on historical data and scientific modeling to predict a future state based on established patterns.

3. Moral Analogy / Strong. This appeals to the principle of privacy. If we value the principle of “private correspondence” in one medium, consistency suggests we should value it in another.

4. Factual Analogy / Weak. This is a False Analogy. Unlike a roller coaster, which is a closed mechanical system designed to return to a starting point, a market is an open system with no guarantee of a “return” to high peaks.

Group 2

5. Identification. The ad is relying on the Ethos of the celebrity to create a desire for the product through association rather than logical claims.

6. Complimentary Copy. The editorial content is strategically designed to increase the appeal and “credibility” of the adjacent advertisement.

7. Weasel Words. “Virtually,” “up to,” and “common” are all used to create a strong impression while technically promising nothing specific or measurable.

8. Slogan. This is a non-propositional phrase used as a mnemonic device to associate a positive emotion with the brand.

Group 3

9. Splicing. The media has been re-joined to misrepresent the speaker’s actual intent.

10. Gatekeeping (or Agenda Setting). The network is exercising its power to regulate what information reaches the audience, thereby telling them what issues are “salient.”

11. Insecurity Factory. The ad medicalizes a normal human state (natural skin) to manufacture a “need” for the product.

12. Hasty Generalization / Stereotyping. The film uses a narrow, biased sample to represent an entire demographic, reinforcing an “othering” narrative.