Your Own Definitional Arguments

Today, we'll start where we left off Friday.

With your partners from last Friday, create your own DEFINITIONAL ARGUMENT, involving one visual (see p. 232; the example here is “torture.”) That means, you need to define a certain word (like “torture”). After defining it (use an online encyclopedia for that, and insert the link!!!), you need to give evidence for every part of the argument, including the visual (see p. 233). You also need to consider alternative views, and counterarguments (try for at least three different counterarguments from different groups of society).

Your job as a group of 1-3 people is to write a DEFINITIONAL CLAIM, and post it on the blog as a new thread, together with your visual, for in-class discussion. It should be about 200 words (length requirement!! Consider it as a mini essay.). On page 235 of your textbook, you will find examples, such as:

“Assisting a gravely ill person to commit suicide should not be considered murder when the motive behind the act is to ease a person’s suffering, not to do harm or to benefit from the death.” (This is the sentence to start from.)

If you use this example, you have to give a definition of “suicide” as well as “murder” (and, ideally, “euthanasia”) with the help of an online dictionary. Then, you have to write a short entry about your personal opinion about this issue, and anticipate your opponents views (“Other people might say that....”; “according to the Christian church, it is forbidden to take a person’s life even if s/he is gravely ill...; “in Holland, euthanasia is legalized...”; “according to the Oath of Hippocrates, physicians have to save humans’ lives, not take them...”). Your concluding sentence should state why you stay with your opinion.

Your mini essay should be very convincing! We'll see if you can convince your peers...

Every group will post the mini essay on the blog as a new thread, including a visual, and present it to the whole class at the smartboard.