Tuesday, 11/10

Starter #39

• What did you think of yesterday's guest panel? What did they say that surprised, disturbed or resonated with you?  Was it a useful use of class time? 

Class Biz
Honors Lunch Meeting Friday (critical reactions were due yesterday??)

AGENDA
Goal: Understand the ways people use logical fallacies to mislead and confuse you
1. More DoubleSpeak for your entertainment: Doublespeak on The Daily Show
Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President Bush. He is the youngest and the second oldest (after Leon Panetta) person to have served as Secretary of Defense.

Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuseDuring the war in Iraq that began in March 2003, personnel of the US Army and CIA committed a series of human rights violations against detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. These violations included physical and sexual abuse, torture, rape, and murder.  The abuses came to light with reports published in late 2003 by Amnesty Internationaland the Associated Press. The incidents received widespread condemnation both within the United States and abroad, with several media outlets calling for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation

2. Intro to Logical Fallacies: Watch this Entertaining video: Explanation of "Moving the Goal Posts" Logical Fallacy

• Based on this video, what do you think logical fallacies are more generally? Try to come up with your OWN definition before I teach this concept today!

3.  Read the handout on Some Logical Fallacies then pick one of the fallacies and write your own example

4. If time:  Logical Fallacies powerpoint
Additional Resources
Awesome You Tube series of fallacies videos
For an exhaustive list of fallacies

5. Come up with questions for our guest speaker

• FLC Professor Sarah Roberts-Cady (Philosophy professor) here to give us a large overview of contemporary debates in political theory and how they link into actual politics (or not) as well as to share some of her own liberal ideology with us

6. Guest Speaker: Professor Sarah Roberts-Cady