Fair-Minded Reasoning

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapter 9 in your textbook With Good Reason: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Updated ed.). The University of Arizona Global Campus. When seeking to understand topics and construct solutions, it is important to appreciate the best arguments on different sides of the question. Understanding other perspectives can help you to be wiser and more effective in your approach to addressing the issue. In this paper, you will use the topic you have been researching in this course and present and evaluate the best arguments on opposing sides of the question. You will assess the quality of each argument. Finally, based on your research and reasoning, you will present your own argument about how this issue can best be addressed. For an example paper, look at the Week Five Example Paper sample. In your paper include the following elements, Introduction (approximately 150 words): Introduce readers to your topic and why it is important. Include a brief preview of what you will accomplish in this paper. You may include pictures or other media here. (This creativity is not part of your grade but can enhance the power and meaningfulness of your paper. Think of it like a magazine article about your topic. First Argument (approximately 200 words): Present the best argument (in standard form) for the side of the issue most supported by scholarly research. Cite at least two scholarly sources in your argument. Your argument may include premises from scholarly sources such as those you analyzed in week 3, but you can also add additional premises of your own to make the argument as powerful as you can. (Do not just use the same argument you analyzed for the week 3 assignment). Opposing Argument (approximately 200 words): Present the best argument you can for an opposing side of the issue. Put the argument in standard form and cite at least one credible (preferably scholarly) source to support the premises. Analysis of the Arguments (approximately 300 words): Evaluate the quality of the two arguments given above and explain which argument is stronger and why. Justify your position, not with opinion, but with an analysis of the quality of the evidence and reasoning. Address questions such as: How well supported are the arguments premises? How strongly does the conclusion follow from the premises? Are there any issues that affect the quality of the argument? How might someone with a different point of view object to the argument? Analyze which argument is stronger than the other and explain why. Justify your position, not with opinion, but with your analysis of the quality of the evidence and reasoning. Presentation of your own approach to addressing the issue (approximately 200 words): Based on what you have learned, present an argument for what you think is the best approach to solving/addressing this issue. Your argument can refer to a solution to this difficult problem or to a specific way you can contribute meaningfully to help with this cause. For example, if your topic is homelessness, you could address the best societal-level way to reduce homelessness or the best (most effective) way that you can help others find housing. Addressing an objection to your chosen approach (approximately 300 words): Present what you think is the best possible objection to your argument/approach to the issue and your best reply to this objection (e.g., How might you overcome any potential concerns or negative side-effects from your chosen approach?) Cite a scholarly or other credible source in this section (either in your presentation of the objection or in your response to it). Conclusion (approximately 150 words): Summarize what you have learned about how controversial topics should be addressed by critical thinkers. Discuss how a critical-thinking based approach could help address and contribute to solving this issue. You may include pictures (or other creative artifacts) in this section, including a visual of what an approach to addressing this issue might look like. (This is not part of your grade, but images can enhance the meaningfulness and impact of what you have presented.)