HanaObataFineman

Period1/2
April28,2014
Prompt#2
PerfectioninPersuasion

Apersonspointofviewisoftenbasedontheopinionoftheonewhopersuadedthem
intothinkingthatway.Itisnotalwaysrealized,butonescurrentmindsetisusuallyafusionofthe
compellingargumentsthattheyhavebeenexposedtoovertime.InMortimerJ.Adlerspaper,
TheNecessityofGovernmentandDougCaseysarticle,IsGovernmentNecessary?,one
couldfindmanyofthequalitiesthatmakeanargumentcompelling,aswellasareaslackingthe
powerandvaliditythatcreatesaninspiringmainpoint.However,MortimerJ.Adlerhas
formulatedthemorepotentandconvincingargumentduetohisphenomenalhypothetical
examples,thoroughlydetailedlogicalexplanations,anddemolishmentofthecounterargument.
Thequalityofsupportingevidenceanauthorutilizescreatesthefoundationforthe
argumentbeingpresented.InthecaseofAdlersessay,hechoosestodrawontwohypothetical
studieshecreatedbasedonnaturalhumanbehavior.Adleranswersthefirstquestionhe
introduces,whetherornotgovernmentisnecessary,byapplyingasituationinwhichthree
scientistssetouttoexploretheAmazonjungle.Inthisexample,thescientistsultimately
constructaformofgovernmentastheironlyoptionforaviablesystemofmakingrulesand
decisions.Adlerproceedstostate,Amomentsreflectionwillservetodiscoverthatcomplete
autonomyisimpracticalandwillnotwork.Understandingwhythisissowillthrowlightonthe
functionthatgovernmentisneededtoperform.(Adler4)MortimerJ.Adlerusesthisexampleof
humanassociationtoprovehisfirstpointthatyes,governmentisnecessarytoreach
agreementsandachieveacommongoal.Adlersrepresentationsmakethereaderdraw
connectionsbetweenhisexamplesandreallifesituationswhereagroupofpeoplemustcome
togetherandcarryoutdecisions.
Ontheotherhand,DougCaseychoosesadifferenttypeofsupportingevidence.Inhis
paper,heattemptstobackuphisreasoningwithhistoricalexamples.Caseysstanceisthe
opposite,thatgovernmentisnotnecessary,andhegoesaboutpersuadingthereaderbymaking
areferencetoanareaoftheworldthathasexperiencedahistoryofmajorclashanduproar:the
MiddleEast.Inhispaper,Caseysays,Muslims,Christians,andJewslivedtogetherpeaceably
inPalestine,LebanonandNorthAfricaforcenturies,untilthesituationbecamepoliticizedafter
WWI.(Casey4)Firstly,theinformationhewritesisnotnecessarilycorrect.Infact,therehas
beenmuchbackandforthbetweenthosecountriesovermanyyearsandtheirsplitwasnota
directeffectofgovernmentimposingafterWWI.Signsofconflictdateallthewaybacktothemid
1800swhennationalismswepttheOttomanEmpireandpoliticalpartiesrose.Inaddition,
Lebanonwasdividedalongreligiouslinesintotwoseparatedistricts.Caseystechniqueof
providinghistoricalexamplesisfilledwitherrorsanddoesnotcomparetoAdlersaccurate,
logicalsimulation.CaseyandAdlersstyleofprovidingsupportingevidenceissimilartothe
approachtheyusetoexplainwhygovernmentisorisnotnecessary.
Anargumentiscompletelyineffectiveifthereadercannotclearlycomprehendit.
ThroughoutAdlerspaper,hisanalyticalapproachcontinuouslysucceedstoprovehisreason.
Forexample,heexplainswhyhismodelaccuratelyexpressestheindispensabilityofa
governmentinthreemainpoints.Inhislastpoint,Adlerwrites,...themattersaboutwhichrules
ordecisionsmustbemadearemattersaboutwhichreasonablemencandisagree.(Adler7)
Heanalyzesthatduetothehighprobabilityofdisagreementbetweenmen,theinstitutionof
authorityisnecessaryforthemtoacttogetherinharmony.Adlerreiteratestheinformationhe
haswrittenand,asaresultofsummarizinghiswriting,histhoughtprocessbecomesevenmore
conclusive.Itisimpossibletodisagreewithhisimpeccablelogic.
UnlikeAdler,Caseysprovidesbriefexplanationsfortheconnectionshemakesbetween
governmentandothermobsandgroups.Hemainlyreliesonpassionasthebackboneofhis
argument.ApointthatCaseyfrequentlystatesishowthegovernmentunfairlyusestheirpower
andforce.However,tobackupthisstatement,CaseycomparestheKuKluxKlantothe
governmentwithoutlistinganyactsthegovernmenthasmadeinthepastthatcomparethe
horrendousdeedsoftheKKK.Instead,hisonlylogicis,Youmightobjectthattheimportant
differencebetweentheKKK,IRA,PLOorasimplemobandagovernmentisthattheyarent
officialorlegal.Apartfromcommonlawconcepts,legalityisarbitrary.(Casey2)Thisclaimis
untrue.Thereisareasonthatthegovernmentislegallyauthorizedandterroristgroupsarenot.
SinceCaseyhasnotprovidedanexampleofwhenthegovernmenthasbrokenthelaworused
violenceinanunlawfulway,thereislittlereasontonoreasontobelievehim.Feelingsand
emotionarenotnearlyasconvincingwhencomparedtolegitimatereasoning.
Atopicthatisoftenleftoutofpersuasiveessays,opinionatedpapers,andswaying
articlesisaddressingthecounterargument.Thisisavitalareatocovertoeffectivelybringthe
readertothedesiredsideofthedebate.MortimerJ.Adleraddressesthecounterargument,that
governmentisevilandunnecessary,inasimilarfashiontohislogicalreasoningastepbystep
explanationprocess.Adlerpitches,Theonlyreasonthatmightbegivenforthinkingthecontrary
wouldbetheviewthatcompleteautonomyonthepartofeveryindividualisanabsolutegood.
(Adler11)Thegovernmentessentiallytakesawaytheoptionofhavingcompleteautonomy.
Whencompleteautonomyistakenaway,lesspeopleareabletoactviolentlyonimpulse.
Instead,theymustbemoreconsiderateofthecommunityasawhole.Therefore,believingevery
personshouldhavecompleteautonomyinacommunitywouldbetheonlyreasonfordeeming
thegovernmentasevil.Oppositely,Caseydoesnotshareacounterargument.Inhisessay,he
accusesthegovernmentofcriminality,beingfullofoppression,andacauseofpurehatredina
country.However,notoncedoeshesaywhysomeonewouldbelievethatthegovernmentisthe
opposite.Instead,heonlydeclares,Governmentsponsorsuntoldwaste,criminalityand
inequalityineverysphereoflifeittouches,givinglittleornothinginreturn.(Casey1)Without
supplyingacounterargument,thereisnowayforanauthortoslashopposingideasbyproviding
examplesthatcounteracttheclaim.
Gainingthereaderstrustisanauthorsultimategoal.Withthereaderstrust,theauthor
hasthepowertopersuadethem.Adlerhooksthereaderwithrelevanthypotheticalstudiesusing
thethreescientists,clearlogicexplainingwhygovernmentisnecessary,andcounterargument
togovernmentbeingevil,andmakesthembelievethathiswordsarethetruthandtheonlytruth.
Sometimes,themostpowerfulinfluenceisnotwhatoneisarguingfor,butratherthequalityof
theargumentitself.