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Old November 11, 2013, 08:22 PM   #10
Frank Ettin
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Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
Quote:
Originally Posted by RHLee
...@Frank Ettin & Tom Servo - Sorry, didn't know that a citation of credentials was necessary in expressing an opinion which relies mostly on logic...
Sorry, logic relies on accurate data. Logic is a process for examining data and forming conclusions based on that examination of data. For those conclusions to be meaningful, both the data must be correct and complete and the process must be sound.

From Merriam-Webster Online:
Quote:
  1. Logic: 1. a (1) : a science that deals with the principles and criteria of validity of inference* and demonstration : the science of the formal principles of reasoning….

  2. Analysis: 1.: separation of a whole into its component parts…
    2…
    3...
    4 a : an examination of a complex, its elements, and their relations b : a statement of such an analysis...
    5 a : a method in philosophy of resolving complex expressions into simpler or more basic ones
    b : clarification of an expression by an elucidation of its use in discourse…
  3. Interpretation: 1: the act or the result of interpreting : explanation…
    2: a particular adaptation or version of a work, method, or style...
    3: a teaching technique that combines factual with stimulating explanatory information…
    _____


    *Inference: 1: the act or process of inferring (see infer): as
    a : the act of passing from one proposition, statement, or judgment considered as true to another whose truth is believed to follow from that of the former
    b : the act of passing from statistical sample data to generalizations (as of the value of population parameters) usually with calculated degrees of certainty
    2 : something that is inferred; especially : a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence

    3 : the premises and conclusion of a process of inferring...
You failed to identify the data upon which you were basing your conclusionary statements. To claim the support of logic, you must show the data upon which your conclusions are based and establish the validity of that data.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RHLee
...I, as one of the co-authors, do have both a BA and MA in (jointly) Political Science (forcus: US Government) and History (focus: US History) and have taught at both the university and junior college level in California over my career,...
Then I would have expected considerably more rigor.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RHLee
...it was pointing out some facts, most of which we believe to be self-evident and not in need of footnotes...
Fact are not self evident. They may be generally accepted, but even then they can be wrong. It was once a generally accepted fact that a heavier metal ball would hit the ground before a lighter one when dropped from the same height. Galileo proved that fact was not true.

If you want to write an essay laying out your opinions, beliefs and value judgments, that's fine. That is an accepted literary form. But be clear to both yourself and your audience what you're doing. Don't bill such an essay as "a look at the mindset and historical background of our Founding Fathers", because it is not.
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