Argument, Audience and Fallacies

April 2, 2007 at 9:21 pm (Uncategorized)

1.Who is your specific audience?

My audience will be towards any person interested in adopting.  

2.Why did you choose them?

My paper will be geared towards anyone interested in adoption because prospective parents will want to know everything possible about adoption before making their final decision.  Most people, like myself, who are considering to adopt are curious to know why and why not adoption is a good idea.  This will aide them in the process of whether or not to adopt a child.   

3.How will your audience affect the argument you intend to present?

Because by pinpointing this certain audience, I can go into detail with the reasons on the pro and con sides.  I would not want to direct my paper towards an adoptive agency because they already know a lot about this controversial issue.  Also, I would not want to use children as my audience because they should not yet be concerned with this topic.

4.Which fallacies will you need to focus on keeping from your argument? Why are these (individually) important to consider in  your argument?

  • Hasty Generalization
    • Because there are so many children up for adoption, everyone should adopt.
  • Either-or Reasoning
    • I will need to give all possible options, not just focus on what I think is the right answer.
  • Appeals to False Authority and Bandwagon Appeals
    • Just because Angelina Jolie and Madonna have adopted and think adoption is alright, doesn’t make it right for everyone. 
  • Circular Reasoning
    • Adoptive agencies screen all potential parents because they think that all parents should be qualified enough.
  • Red Herring
    • Adoption is bad because segregation is bad.  
  • Failing to accept the burden of proof
    • Children in Japan need to be adopted faster than kids other places.  

    Overreliance on authority

    • Government agencies are not looking over adoptive agencies, but just because they say they are does not mean it is making a difference.
  • Oversimplification
    • These poor children do not have homes

    1 Comment

    1. Katt said,

      April 3, 2007 at 12:12 pm

      I still want to see you narrow your audience down. Are these people who are considering adopting in the United States or from foreign countries? The specificity here will determine the tone and information of your paper.

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