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Critical Thinking Final Touchstone
In this assignment, you will make two contrasting normative arguments about what one
ought
to do. Both arguments will be about the same topic, and so at least one of the arguments is
likely to be something you don't actually agree with. You will compose the arguments in
standard form—that is, as a series of statements that end with your conclusion. Reminder: Do
not write as an essay!
Part I. Select your topic and arguments.
a.
Choose a topic from the following list:
●
Should people eat meat?
●
Should marijuana be legal?
●
Should pet cats be kept indoors?
●
Should zoos exist?
●
Should customers leave a tip in
a coffee shop?
●
Should seat belt wearing be
mandatory?
●
Should children be required to take
gym/PE classes?
●
Should public roads be used for
private car parking?
b.
Write two logically contradictory normative conclusions for the topic. You do not need to
agree with both (or either!) conclusions, but you should be able to logically support both
of them.
The conclusions need
not
be phrased exactly the same as they are phrased in the topic
list, but they
do
need to be logically contradictory to one another. For example, if you
selected the topic "Should people eat meat?", your conclusions might be:
●
People should not eat meat.
●
People should eat meat.
But it would also be acceptable to choose:
●
People should reduce their meat consumption.
●
People need not reduce their meat consumption.
c.
These conclusions will be the final line of your argument. If you revise a conclusion after
writing the argument, you should revise the conclusion here to match.
Critical Thinking – Final Touchstone
Page 2
Conclusion #1:
Pet cats should be kept indoors.
Conclusion #2:
Pet cats should be allowed outdoors.
Part II. Write your arguments in standard form.
a.
Standard form is a series of numbered statements. Each should be one sentence long.
The final statement is the conclusion.
You do not need to label statements as
premises or conclusions
; it is understood by the form of the argument that all
statements are premises except the final one, which is always the conclusion.
b.
There should be at least one
normative
statement (stating what people should do) and
at least one descriptive statement (describing something to be true). Statements that
predict outcomes or describe what people believe are not normative. A good way to
determine if a statement is normative is looking for verb phrases like “should,” “ought,” or
“have an obligation to.”
c.
If any of your premises make factual statements that are not common knowledge and
widely accepted, include a source supporting your reference. This can be an APA citation
or just a link to a reputable website or publication.
Here is a helpful resource for APA
references.
d.
Place an asterisk (*) by the
normative
premise(s) that support the conclusion.
e.
Do not use your conclusion as a premise. This is the fallacy of “begging the question.”
f.
There may be a
subargument
within your argument, a conclusion reached by premises
that then becomes a conclusion that supports your premise. If there is a subargument,
underline the
subconclusion
.
g.
The
conclusion
should be the final statement in your argument (as given above) and
begin with the word “therefore.” These should correspond to the conclusions from Part 1.
h.
The complete argument (including conclusion) should be 5-7 statements.
Argument #1
1. Pet cats face various dangers and risks if they are allowed outdoors, such as traffic
accidents, being attacked by predators, and the risk of getting lost or stolen.*
2. Keeping cats indoors helps to ensure their physical safety, primarily because it provides a
secure and safe living environment that is free from many of the risks associated with being
outside.*
3. Indoor cats are also less likely to be a risk to local wildlife, therefore meaning that it
mitigates their impact on the local ecosystem (Tan et al., 2020).
4. Keeping a cat indoors also makes them less likely to both contract and spread diseases,
which means it reduces their potential to spread diseases to other animals and humans (Tan
et al., 2020).*
5. In general, indoor cats are better socialized and receive more regular veterinary care
Critical Thinking – Final Touchstone
Page 3
(Arbuckle, 2021). In turn, this leads to healthier and happier pets.
Therefore, it is recommended to keep pet cats indoors to ensure their safety, reduce their
impact on the environment, and ensure their overall well-being.
Argument #2
1. Allowing pet cats outdoors helps encourage cats to engage in their natural behaviors, such
as exploring and hunting (Gantt, 2022).
2. Outdoor exploration can help reduce negative behaviors in cats, including boredom and
anxiety (Freeport Veterinary Hospital, n.d.; Tan et al., 2020).*
3. By letting them outdoors, cats will have increased opportunities to exercise and, therefore,
maintain a healthy weight (Gantt, 2022).*
4. There are some types of cats that have a strong desire to be outside, and denying this
experience can lead to unhappiness and stress (Freeport Veterinary Hospital, n.d.).
5. Responsible pet owners can mitigate risks associated with outdoor access through
measures like supervised outdoor time and keeping up to date with vaccinations.
Therefore, providing outdoor access to pet cats can enhance their well-being and quality of
life, as long as it is done responsibly.
Part III. Reflection
1.
Are your arguments deductive or
inductive? Explain what the difference
is between the two and why you see
your argument as inductive or
deductive. (2 sentences)
Both of my arguments are inductive because
they rely on evidence and observations to
support a conclusion. They do not guarantee
the truth of the conclusion but instead provide
strong reasons to believe it. In both cases, I
present evidence and reasons that make the
conclusions plausible but not absolutely
certain.
2.
Identify either a deductive rule of
inference or an inductive practice that
helps support your conclusion. Explain
what the rule or practice means and
how it was used to reach your
conclusion. (2-3 sentences)
One inductive practice that supports my
conclusions is the use of empirical evidence
and expert opinions. In both arguments, I
reference credible sources to back up my
claims about the benefits or risks of keeping
cats indoors or allowing them outdoors. This
practice involves gathering real-world data
and the opinions of experts to build a case for
each conclusion, thereby making the
arguments inductive.
Critical Thinking – Final Touchstone
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Page 4
3.
What moral framework do you use to
justify your normative conclusions
(utilitarian, deontological, or virtue
ethics)? Explain the meaning of the
moral framework and how adopting
that perspective leads to your
conclusion. The two arguments do not
need to follow the same moral theory.
(4-6 sentences)
In Argument 1, the moral framework I used is
utilitarianism. This focuses on maximizing
overall well-being and minimizing harm. In
this case, it focused on reducing the potential
risks and dangers to cats, humans, and the
local ecosystem, if pet cats are allowed
outdoors.
In Argument 2, I primarily relied on virtue
ethics. This emphasizes moral character and
virtues like compassion and responsibility. To
that end, allowing cats to engage in their
natural behaviors and providing opportunities
for exercise and exploration aligns with
virtues of responsible pet ownership
4.
What assumptions are you making
that may compromise your
arguments? Use language from the
tutorials that identify cognitive and
unconscious biases. This should be
about your experience, not a general
response about potential biases. (4-6
sentences)
One assumption that may compromise my
arguments is the assumption of responsible
ownership. Both arguments assume that pet
owners will take necessary precautions and
act in the best interest of their cats. However,
cognitive biases may lead some owners to
underestimate the risks or overestimate their
ability to provide responsible outdoor access.
Relatedly, confirmation bias may cause
people to seek out information that validates
their preconceived notions about pet
ownership, thereby distorting their
assessment of the advantages and
disadvantages.
5.
What opinion did you have when you
began this assignment, and what
challenges to critical thinking did you
encounter when arguing for a
conclusion you didn't agree with? How
did logic and critical thinking help you
to think about your topic from two
different angles? This should be about
your personal experience, not a
general response about the
challenges of considering other points
of view. (4-6 sentences)
As I began this assignment, I personally
believed keeping pet cats indoors was the
safer and more responsible choice. However,
when arguing for the conclusion that pet cats
should be allowed outdoors, I realized that I
was having some difficulty reconciling my
initial beliefs with the opposing viewpoint.
Some critical thinking helped me consider the
potential benefits of allowing cats to play
outside. For example, as I found out, it helps
them fulfill their natural instincts. This made
me realize that, if done responsibly, there
may be benefits to letting pet cats outside. As
a result, it helped me understand how
complex this topic is and, more broadly, the
importance of weighing different perspectives
before arriving at a conclusion.
Critical Thinking – Final Touchstone
Page 5
Refer to the checklist below throughout the Touchstone process. Do not submit your Touchstone
until it meets these guidelines.
1. Argument Preparation
❒
Is each argument in standard form, not paragraph form?
❒
Do your two arguments have logically contradictory conclusions?
❒
Is each argument at least five declarative sentences, ending in a conclusion?
❒
Does each argument have a normative conclusion (saying what people ought to do)?
❒
Is there at least one normative premise that supports each conclusion?
2. Annotating Your Argument
❒
Did you place an asterisk (*) on the normative premise(s) that support your conclusion?
❒
Did you underline any subconclusions in your argument?
❒
Are there sources for any assertions that are fact-based and not well known/accepted?
3. Reflection Questions
❒
Did you answer all five of the reflection questions satisfactorily?
❒
Do your answers meet the length requirement and fully answer the question?
Critical Thinking – Final Touchstone
Page 6
References
Arbuckle, K. (2021).
Are indoor cats happy?
Care.
https://www.care.com/c/are-indoor-
cats-happy/
Freeport Veterinary Hospital. (n.d.).
My kitty wants to be an outdoor cat, what do I do?
https://www.freeportvet.com/services/cats/blog/my-kitty-wants-be-outdoor-cat-
what-do-i-do
Gantt, E. (2022).
Should I let my cat outside?
Wag Walking.
https://wagwalking.com/wellness/should-i-let-my-cat-outside
Tan, S.M., Stellato, A.C., & Niel, L. (2020). Uncontrolled outdoor access for cats: An
assessment of risks and benefits.
Animals, 10
(2). doi: 10.3390/ani10020258
Critical Thinking – Final Touchstone
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