The following appeared as part of an article in a magazine on lifestyles:
“Two years ago, City L was listed 14th in an annual survey that ranks cities according to the quality of life that can be enjoyed by those living in them. This information will enable people who are moving to the state in which City L is located to confidently identify one place, at least, where schools are good, housing is affordable, people are friendly, the environment is safe, and the arts flourish.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
’ ’’In today’s world, people crave stimulation and pleasure, and cities offer both. Anyone who moves to a new area should base their decision on the quality of the city’s quality of life. Where to live is a personal choice, but people should be able to rely on the information given to them by others to make their choices. The reasoning in this claim is flawed
First, the ranking of cities is based on the opinions of a relatively small number of people. Therefore, the ranking is skewed and does not reflect the true quality of the cities. This flaw is inherent in the survey itself. How can people accurately rank the quality of life in an unknown city when they have no firsthand knowledge of the city? In addition, the survey may not be representative of all the residents of the city, as only people who are willing to participate may be included. Another factor is that cities change from year to year, so any city that is ranked highly one year may not be ranked highly the next. Finally, in the two years between surveys, the city may have changed so much that it is not the same as it was when rated earlier. People moving to City L should not be led to believe that the quality of life is as good there as it was two years ago
Second, the claim that the quality of life in City L is better than in other cities is not supported by any evidence. The only evidence that is provided is a ranking by experts. Without specific examples, it is difficult to determine the quality of City L. However, the reasoning by the experts is flawed as well. The experts claim that a few criteria are indicative of the good quality of life in City L. But what if the factors that make the city a good place to live do not apply to all people? For example, parents with young children may prefer City L for its good schools, but retirees might prefer a city with more recreation opportunities. A ranking based solely on the opinions of a few experts may not accurately reflect what the residents of City L want
Finally, the ranking of cities is based on the criteria provided by the experts. Other cities may not provide the same types of criteria. For example, City L may be ranked highly because of its low crime rates, but another city may rank highly because of its beautiful nature. A ranking based solely on criteria provided by the experts may be misleading, since cities are not ranked based on objective criteria. Since the argument is based solely on the opinions of experts, it does not provide enough objective information to allow anyone to make an informed decision about where to live
The conclusion of this argument, that City L offers a better quality of life than other cities, should not be accepted. The reasoning is flawed in that it is based on the opinions of experts, and the criteria used do not provide an objective basis for comparing cities. In addition, the ranking between the cities is skewed, since only the opinions of a small group of people are used. The conclusion should be modified to make it clear that City L does not offer a better quality of life than other cities.