What if Toward Excellence in Reasoning by Hintikka & Bachman Thesis Proposal

What if Toward Excellence in Reasoning by Hintikka & Bachman - Thesis Proposal Example The statements have been distinguished under the following headings:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And you don’t have to be a sociologist to recognize that the prime motivation for virtually everything Americans do is entertainment; remove the entertainment motive, and you make the prospect of learning to read resemble an exercise in stoicism.†Ã‚  The premise is the part of a statement that serves as a support to the conclusive part of the whole statement; on the other hand, the conclusion is the part that expresses the final theme of the statement with the help of premise. The argument analyses of the given passage are as under Statement: â€Å"If you want an explanation for declining literacy rates in the U.S.†Ã‚  Explanations: These lines explain that it is not only entertainment, which is sought out by the masses. Rather, books provide the readers with knowledge, wisdom, and information too. Thus, television may be a source of amusement, but it is not true that books have been re placed by television because of seeking entertainment only.  Statement: â€Å"look no further than the boob tube.† (Intermediate Conclusion)  Explanations: This part of the statement speaks out television as the root-cause of falling literacy rate. The writers have used the slang phrase i.e. boob tube to mention television. As this part is based on conclusive assumption and does not emphatically prove the truth and validity of the real picture, it is, therefore, it can be stated as the intermediate conclusion.  Statement: â€Å"Spend all the money you choose on studies in an attempt to address the problem, but if you want my advice, you’d be better off unplugging the TV set.† (Final Conclusion)  Explanations: These lines disclose the conclusion of the argument, where the writers have refuted the idea that television has led to low literacy rate. Moreover, they do not agree to the notion that unplugging TV might increase trend towards reading.