The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
“This past winter, 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs. The other 12,000 Waymarsh students evidently weren’t so concerned about their education: they either stayed on campus or left for winter break. Since the group who did not protest is far more numerous, it is more representative of the state’s college students than are the protesters. Therefore the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.”
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.
The author of the editorial makes a reasonable argument, though it rests on shaky assumptions. First, he assumes that the protesters are more representative of the students than the non-protesting students. However, there is not necessarily a correlation between those who protested and those who stayed at home. It is possible that those who stayed at home are students who are more conscientious about their own education. Perhaps they recognize that the protesting students do not speak for all students, and that protesting may lead the legislature to overreact to their complaints. Students may also have more free time during the winter break, and prefer to spend this time with their families or pursuing other interests
Second, he assumes that the protesting students’ concerns are more important than those of the majority. This is not necessarily the case. Some students may be passionate about their field of study, and may be willing to endure inconveniences, inconveniences, even personal hardship, in order to advance their cause. Others may be less concerned. Some might be concerned that their college has already cut their programs, and that further cuts would create a crisis. Others may simply believe that their college can afford the cuts, and that protesting is simply a waste of time. Third, he assumes that the protesting students were the only ones affected. The legislature is considering across-the-board cuts, and may be reluctant to make any one program a priority at the expense of others. As this statement makes clear, we do not know what percentage of students attending Waymarsh State High College are protesting, nor are we sure how many of the non-protesting students went to winter break. If the majority did, indeed, attend the break, it will interfere with the validity of the argument, since the group of students who protested may or may not be more representative of the overall student population. Finally, the author assumes that the protesting students’ concerns would be heard by the legislature if only the students had gathered at the capitol. However, we do not have information about whether the legislature has responded to the students’ concerns. If the group did not, it is not unreasonable to think that the protesting students’ concerns were not heard
If the author is correct, then the legislature should ignore the protesting students, who, according to the author, do not represent a majority of college students. However, if the majority did not protest, then the legislature should not ignore the protests, since there may not be enough support for the cuts. If the students’ concerns were ignored, the legislature would be justified in reconsidering the cuts. On the other hand, if the majority protested, then the legislature would be obligated to listen to the students’ concerns. In many situations, protesting can be an effective means of expressing one’s opinions, and therefore should not be dismissed out of hand. If the protests were successful, the legislature would be obligated to follow the students’ advice. However, if the protests were not successful, the legislature would have no good reason to cut any programs.