Claim: The best test of an argument is its ability to convince someone with an opposing
viewpoint.
Reason: Only by being forced to defend an idea against the doubts and contrasting
views of others does one really discover the value of that idea.
The claim saying that any argument's value can be determined only effectiveness in convincing someone with an opposing viewpoint might be considered reasonable. In some cases, it is true that only when forced to defend against an opposing views and doubts can an arguments' value be understood.
This might seem reasonable in many issues. For example, it is easy dismiss someone arguing that earth is flat as fool or an idiot. But only when we start arguing with such people can we understand why we do not believe that earth is flat. We might cite satellite images and round trips around the earth made by people to contend that earth is a sphere. But flat-earths might come up with alternative explanations to all out arguments. Then we might come up with an argument which completely convinces us and the flat-earths why earth is sphere. Only then can we realize how important it is that earth be sphere and not flat.
Another issue where arguments and counter-arguments complement each other is philosophy. In philosophy, arguments and counter-arguments are encouraged above anything else. Let's take a philosophical debate about whether humans are inherently good or evil. If I believe that humans are inherently good, only when I argue my position with someone who believes that humans are inherently evil, can I realize that it might be incomplete to say that humans are either completely good or completely evil.
But even when it comes to politics, trying convince someone with a differing ideology might lead strengthening of one's own beliefs. People are free to side with whatever ideology or political party they deem to be good. But only when arguing with someone with differing ideology can someone come to appreciate their own. If I am a liberal, I would never solve a problem that requires a more politically centered approach if I refuse to listen to the conservationist point of view of the issue. So, If someone decides to stay away from opposing points of view and strictly adheres to their own point of view, it can lead to biased, extremist and incorrect political decisions.
In these ways, I cannot imagine a situation where not listening to doubts and contrasting viewpoints can lead to a sound argument..In summary, I completely agree with the claim and the reason that people must listen to opposing viewpoints and come to appreciate their viewpoints.
- Progress should be the aim of any great society. People toooften cling unnecessarily to obsolete ways of thinking andacting because they enjoy feeling comfortable and fear theunknown 16
- The city council of Smithville has recommended makingchanges to police procedures to improve the visibility of thepolice force. These changes include hiring more police officers,budgeting more funds for police overtime, and directingofficers to patrol sig 63
- Tusk University should build a new recreational facility, bothto attract new students and to better serve the needs of ourcurrent student body. Tusk projects that enrollment willdouble over the next 10 years, based on current trends. Thenew student body i 42
- Progress should be the aim of any great society. People toooften cling unnecessarily to obsolete ways of thinking andacting because they enjoy feeling comfortable and fear theunknown 16
- The following appeared in an article written by Dr. Karp, an anthropologist.“Twenty years ago, Dr. Field, a noted anthropologist, visited the island of Tertia and concludedfrom his observations that children in Tertia were reared by an entire village ra 50
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 1, column 201, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...In some cases, it is true that only when forced to defend against an opposing vie...
^^
Line 5, column 84, Rule ID: HE_VERB_AGR[1]
Message: The pronoun 'someone' must be used with a third-person verb: 'argues'.
Suggestion: argues
...For example, it is easy dismiss someone arguing that earth is flat as fool or an idiot....
^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 145, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
... flat as fool or an idiot. But only when we start arguing with such people can we...
^^
Line 9, column 173, Rule ID: LETS_LET[1]
Message: Did you mean 'Let's'?
Suggestion: Let's
...nts are encouraged above anything else. Lets take a philosophical debate about wheth...
^^^^
Line 9, column 311, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...at humans are inherently good, only when I argue my position with someone who bel...
^^
Line 13, column 14, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
... or completely evil. But even when it comes to politics, trying convince so...
^^
Line 13, column 235, Rule ID: WHITESPACE_RULE
Message: Possible typo: you repeated a whitespace
Suggestion:
...arty they deem to be good. But only when arguing with someone with differing ideo...
^^
Line 17, column 130, Rule ID: DOUBLE_PUNCTUATION
Message: Two consecutive dots
Suggestion: .
... viewpoints can lead to a sound argument..In summary, I completely agree with the ...
^^
Line 17, column 132, Rule ID: SENTENCE_WHITESPACE
Message: Add a space between sentences
Suggestion: In
...iewpoints can lead to a sound argument..In summary, I completely agree with the cl...
^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, if, so, then, for example, in summary, in some cases, it is true
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 20.0 19.5258426966 102% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 18.0 12.4196629213 145% => OK
Conjunction : 19.0 14.8657303371 128% => OK
Relative clauses : 21.0 11.3162921348 186% => OK
Pronoun: 40.0 33.0505617978 121% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 48.0 58.6224719101 82% => OK
Nominalization: 5.0 12.9106741573 39% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 2002.0 2235.4752809 90% => OK
No of words: 397.0 442.535393258 90% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 5.04282115869 5.05705443957 100% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.46372701284 4.55969084622 98% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.90823035635 2.79657885939 104% => OK
Unique words: 197.0 215.323595506 91% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.496221662469 0.4932671777 101% => OK
syllable_count: 628.2 704.065955056 89% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59117977528 101% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 8.0 6.24550561798 128% => OK
Article: 1.0 4.99550561798 20% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 3.10617977528 97% => OK
Conjunction: 4.0 1.77640449438 225% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 4.0 4.38483146067 91% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 19.0 20.2370786517 94% => OK
Sentence length: 20.0 23.0359550562 87% => OK
Sentence length SD: 58.2190914037 60.3974514979 96% => OK
Chars per sentence: 105.368421053 118.986275619 89% => OK
Words per sentence: 20.8947368421 23.4991977007 89% => OK
Discourse Markers: 3.63157894737 5.21951772744 70% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.97078651685 101% => OK
Language errors: 9.0 7.80617977528 115% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 6.0 10.2758426966 58% => More positive sentences wanted.
Sentences with negative sentiment : 12.0 5.13820224719 234% => Less negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 1.0 4.83258426966 21% => More facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.238824395578 0.243740707755 98% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0830099848582 0.0831039109588 100% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0899668677208 0.0758088955206 119% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.149129631753 0.150359130593 99% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.124313653717 0.0667264976115 186% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 12.8 14.1392134831 91% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 51.18 48.8420337079 105% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.92365168539 111% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.1 12.1743820225 91% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.95 12.1639044944 98% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.73 8.38706741573 92% => OK
difficult_words: 78.0 100.480337079 78% => More difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 8.0 11.8971910112 67% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.0 11.2143820225 89% => OK
text_standard: 8.0 11.7820224719 68% => The average readability is low. Need to imporve the language.
What are above readability scores?
---------------------
Rates: 50.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.0 Out of 6
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.