Week 6 - Post 1: Repairing Arguments

The problem with many arguments is that they do not possess the proper premises to support their conclusion. An example of such an argument would be, “College students have too many expenses to pay. Therefore, a college student should not buy a new car.” In this example, the argument is stated, but there is not premise to support the conclusion. This example needs more detail to support the argument in question. By adding, “New cars are very expensive and require that monthly payments be made over several years,” the conclusion is justified much better. It is a well-known fact that college students face several expenses such as tuition, the cost of books, housing, and much more. As a result, this statement can stand on its own. However, the conclusion does not say why students should not buy a new car. By explaining the financial hardships of car payments, it is now clear why a student would not want to add another bill on top of the several they are already paying. By repairing these statements, the argument becomes much stronger.