From the Paper
"In his Meditations, Descartes puts aside all his present beliefs and, by using skepticism, he attempts to discover a set of basic beliefs whose truth is beyond doubt. Descartes uses his dream argument to explain that our senses are not powerful enough to determine which beliefs are true and which are not. In his Second Meditation, through the use of skepticism, he derives his first basic belief, his own existence. "

Tags:beliefs, conclusion, doubt, dreams, existence, meditations, perception, philosophy, reason, reasons, senses, truth

Abstract
The paper argues that Bennett's "Gay Marriage: Not a Very Good Idea" is, as both polemical and academic writing, unconvincing to any reader not in alignment with the author's moral and political commitments. The paper discusses how as academic writing, the piece confuses one kind of reasoning (descriptive) with another (prescriptive), which makes it relevant only to people who agree with Bennett's commitments, and robs it of the much greater force that could be imparted by a legal argument.

From the Paper
Bennett: Failed Argumentation, Failed Rhetoric Bennett's "Gay Marriage: Not a Very Good Idea" is, as both polemical and academic writing, unconvincing to any reader not in alignment with the author's moral and political commitments. As academic writing, the piece confuses one kind of reasoning (descriptive) with another (prescriptive), which makes it relevant only to people who agree with Bennett's commitments, and robs it of the much greater force that could be imparted by a legal argument. By adopting the descriptive approach, Bennett abandons the very use of evidence, and thus ends up writing a policy document devoid of argument. As a polemicist, Bennett uses a particularly

Tags:bennett, gay, marriage

Abstract
This essay will focus on a claim of value within the structure of Annette T. Rottenberg's style of argument with her book entitled "Elements of Argument". By analyzing a claim to value in an objective projected by a business, we can use these arguments to achieve a greater understanding of how a value can be projected onto an item and convincingly revealed. Value can be determined by the way that is presented in Toulmin' system of argumentation through the scope of a business writer like Rottenberg. The essay will cover her methods-via the Toulmin System- and seek to uncover a value claim within its perimeters.

Abstract
This paper discusses how a great deal of human communication is in the nature of argumentation and how in this day and age the "speech" that is going on on Web sites is also in the nature of (rhetorical) argument. It examines two different websites that make argumentative claims that the author was inclined to reject to help to determine the strength and persuasiveness of those claims. The first site is the Jeb Bush gubernatorial re-elections site and it evaluates how election sites are in many ways the quintessence of argumentative speech because the stakes are so high and the second site is that of Pepsi site to see if the author could be swayed to drink Pepsi.

From the Paper
"In asking what would constitute a good web-based argument for this candidacy, the answer would be one that supplied enough substantive coverage of the governor in a sufficiently balanced way that I would want to vote for him if I lived in Florida. This means that while the rhetoric should be persuasive it should not seem forced or so positive that it seems false.

The rhetoric on this site lacks that sense of balance. For example: The homepage of the site has a number of different options, such as "Women for Jeb," "Hispanics for Jeb," "Seniors for Jeb." I find it hard to believe that people actually think of themselves in this way. The Web site's categorization of people into convenient, poll-oriented demographics makes the campaign seem soulless and calculating, surely not the intention of the Bush advisers."

Tags:human, communication, rhetorical, einstein, election, sites, jeb, bush, pepsi

Abstract
This paper explains that the "ontological argument" in favor of God's existence has remained one of the keys to the fundamental notion that the existence of God can be verified through logical argumentation. The author points out that Aquinas introduces the idea of the first, unmovable mover, which is responsible for all of the cause and effect events witnessed today, and investigates what aspects of the world betray the existence of God and why His existence is questioned so readily. The paper relates that Augustine's position is that human beings are positioned so that they can act rightly but that the actions and sins of the past have hindered the path towards God.

From the Paper
"The first sin Augustine characterizes as being like an act of a prisoner who creates false freedom for himself by breaking the rules and intending not to be caught. Obviously, Adam was caught, and all the subsequent sins of man have created a world in which God cannot be found without help; it has become too easy to commit acts of moral evil that those who do so often act out of ignorance. In other words, ignorance of God is not an innate facet of the human condition but is the burden that all human beings carry as a result of past sins."

Tags:mover, path, sins, conception, reasoning

Abstract
The paper relates that John Searle developed his Chinese room argument in response to some of those who argue that strong artificial intelligence is possible. As will be shown, the Chinese room argument was a thought experiment that appeared to constitute a good argument against the possibility of strong artificial intelligence. The paper shows how it was a sufficiently good argument that many people have been provoked to present counter-arguments in an attempt to rebut Searle's argument. In the paper, the Systems Reply will be considered, as it is proposed that this is the strongest reply to date.

Tags:chinese, room, argument

Abstract
The paper looks at arguments in advertising. Specifically, the paper identifies five instances of advertisements that cleverly present arguments in a manner aimed at getting people to part with their hard-earned money - all to purchase goods that it may safely be said are non-essential. The paper describes each article and outlines what sort of argument each appears to be.

From the Paper
"The first step in figuring out any advertisement is discerning what type of argument is being presented. Glancing at a cellophane ad from the 1950s ("Photo(s) of the Day: Crazy Advertisements from the 1950s," illus1), one..."

Tags:arguments, advertising, english

Abstract
This paper analyzes the argument from design perspective which is considered appealing because it seems based on empirical evidence. According to the paper, it's not based on esoteric philosophical concepts or knowledge that can only be learned after decades of study. Rather, the argument from design cites evidence all around us. The paper states that everyone can understand this appeal of this justification for the existence of God. The paper concludes that the argument from design is a fundamentally flawed approach to the question of the existence of God.

From the Paper
"Finding a philosophical argument to demonstrate the existence of God is no small task. Philosophers, theologians, and more have been at it for thousands of years and yet there still hasn't been developed a rational approach that can prove that God exists--in any form. Recent attempts to repackage deistic faith in the form of science have led to the formulation of the intelligent design theory. It is, interestingly enough, a teleological argument that is constructed from a basic argument from design perspective. The purpose here is to examine this perspective and the finer points of the design argument. In the end, however, no matter..."

Tags:argument, from, design

Abstract
This paper presents several arguments in favor of the existence of God. Scholars and their proofs supporting a divine creator are cited. Other approaches, such as the cosmological argument are also presented. Finally, the paper concludes by addressing the work of Craig, which states that a world without God is absurd.

From the Paper
"In the first instance, the occurrence of evil is sometimes necessary for the result of a greater good. Evans illustrates this using a heroic soldier who might sacrifice his life for the sake of his comrades. Similarly, natural evils (e.g. illnesses) are perhaps necessary in order for a person to cultivate certain virtues. From a theistic perspective, then, there is no utterly pointless evil. Experiencing evil can be viewed as a test of faith. This judgment is simply based on a believer's personal evidence of God's goodness (i.e., the evidential form of the problem of evil), which is as valid as the atheistic argument."

Tags:atheism, evil, evolution, cosmological argument

Abstract
This paper describes a conversation about the "design argument" set out in "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and the Natural History of Religion" by David Hume. One person has defended the design argument for God's existence, while another has been arguing that Philo's objections are decisive against it. There are actually three characters in this dialogue, Philo the skeptic, Cleanthes the theologian, and Demea, the one who believes revealed religion.

From the Paper
"Kim and Alex that are having a conversation about the "design argument" set out in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and the Natural History of Religion by David Hume. Kim has defended the design argument for God's existence, while Alex has been arguing that Philo's objections are decisive against it. There are actually three characters in this dialogue, Philo the skeptic, Cleanthes the theologian, and Demea, the one who believes revealed religion. Philo can be considered the main character, since he does most of the talking, and his skepticism thus becomes the central element in the book and the most important argument, though the argument by Cleanthes is..."

Tags:hume, design, argument