Wisdom and Fallacies

Part A:

An “apology” in literature is not actually saying that you are sorry; instead, it is a logical argument to explain why someone else is wrong (and, probably, that other person needs to be the one apologizing). People who defend their beliefs through a systematic use of information are called “apologetics,” and that is what Socrates is doing in his “Apology.”

Socrates makes several different claims about wisdom, ignorance, knowing ourselves, what we fear, what should be valued, and so forth. Pick one of these claims, state it, and explain what he means. Then, explain how you believe it could actually be applied to your own life today.

Part B:

Review the list of logical fallacies that people commit when trying to prove a point that undercut the effectiveness of their arguments.

Pick and identify one fallacy. Explain in your own words how the fallacy occurs, and then provide an example of the fallacy as it might occur in a student’s paper.

Suggestion: You might want to even review some of your own essays to see if your example could come straight out of something that you have already written.

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