Humanities Test 2

Romaniticism, Industrial Rev, Human Rights

Ad Hominem

disputing a position or argument by critisizing its source(casting doubt on opponent character) rather than addressing the argument itself. This logical fallacy undermines the validity of the point being made. 

eg. Mark responds to Mary’s argument about climate change by attacking her intelligence rather than her evidence.

straw man

a misrepresentation of an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack. This fallacy involves refuting a distorted version of the original position instead of the actual argument. (DISTORTION)

eg. Claiming someone believes in extreme measures to combat climate change, when they only advocate for gradual reforms. or Betty responds to Barney’s argument to lower voter age to 16yr by saying she’s shocked that he wants to take power away from the elderly. 

all or nothing

an argument that unfairly limits you to only 2 choices (black-or-white fallacy) eg. Will you contribute 100$ to the campaign or do you want to starve children?

anecdotal evidence

using personal experience or an isolated example instead of sound or compelling evidence.

eg. Mario says his dad smokes 2 packs a day, yet is still living at 98, so the scientific studies aren’t credible.

Slippery slope

the assertion that some hypothetical event will follow from an earlier event, without any sound proof being given. eg. Sally says that if you gamble, you will lose all your money, lose your house, your family will leave you and you will turn to crime.

Red herring (changing the subject, smoke screen)

a distraction from the real argument. 

EG. we should lower the grade requirements for students applying. b: the problem with that is that the school building need urgent repair.

non-sequitur

a statement or conclusion that does not follow logically from premises (red herring is often a form of non-sequitur)

eg. its important to get long-haired dogs groomed regularly. Otherwise the mail carrier will have difficulty delivering mail.

begging the question (petitio principii)

circular argument, the conclusion is also a used premise. the premises are valid only because the conclusion is assumed to be true.

PATTERN: A implies B which implies A which implies B…

eg. Your politicians are all corrupt. How do we know? Because we’ve arrested them on corruption charges.

Appeal to emotion

emotional manipulation instead of factual evidence

eg. adopting a puppy is always a great idea, whatever the circumstances. they’re so cute, they brighten everyone’s day. therefore, you should adopt one. 

special pleading

often a double standard, inconsistency in hich a person applies a general princip;e to various situations but conisders his circumstances as an exception. 

eg.i don’t care whats stats you show me. we’re not going to let birth control turn school girls into floozies. Don’t bring my daughter into this, shes an angel. 

appeal to the people

bandwagon, the assumption thats someone’s claim is correct simply because thta’s what everyone thinks.

eg. how could you not believe in unicorns, everyone knows they exist. 

appeal to nature

(romantics are susceptible) something is good because it’s natural and unatural = bad.

eg. opium is all-natural, all things natural are good for you, therefore opium is good for you. 

appeal to money/poverty

if somethig costs a lot of money = good. or if someone is poor this impacts their value or truth of claim. (or corrupt = lots of money)

eg. the ferrari driver is at fault, the piece ofjunk honda couldn’t have been going that fast. 

eg. let bill gates run for president, he’s rich so would do a good job. 

appel polishing(appeal to flattery)

using compliments or flattery to wn support

eg’ it’s obvious you care about your workers and want the best for them, will you give me 6 days off? eg. a client as sophisticated as you can see that 1M$ is nothing for this piece of art.

wishful thinking

person’s desire for something to be true is used as evidence for the truthfulness

eg. heaven must exist, imagine how awful it would be if it wasn’t. eg. the healer wasn’t able to cure me but it’s ok i’m sure he was having a hard time with so many people in line. 

post hot, ergo propter hoc

(after this,therefore because of this) basis of many susperstitions and beliefs, that because one thing happened after another, the first event was the cause. 

eg. after that witch gave me the evil eye, our crops failed, burn her! 

eg. Dont take the vaccine, my sister developped a deadly nut allery after, it must have overloaded her immune system. 

argument from common practice (appeal to tradition)

a type of appeal to the people, notion that something must be correct because traditionally things have always been done that way. 

eg. you have to write a final exam, because that’s how you learn, students have been doing this since the day this college opened its doors. 

fallacies

non-rational arguments, an error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid. - Logical fallacy = Flaw in reasoning, used to trick others in agreeing.

Fallacies are often used in our society: politics, advertisement, social media, debates, etc

Human rights

Inalienable (cannot be taken away) → except if you commit a crime 

Inherent (exist by nature/aren’t granted by a government or external authority)  Universal (apply to all) 

Egalitarian (advocates for the equality of all) 

rights spare you from: Torture, death, unlawful imprisonment, exploitation, corruption

they are all true in an ideal world, ethical principle and are a agreed upon system outgrowth of the enlightenment 18th c. 

human rights - was it always like this?

Before based on social status, wealth, race, sex

Some had many rights (nobility, 1st estate, king), others didn’t (mostly commoners) - Divine right of Kings (Belief that a monarch’s authority appointed by God, therefore kings had absolute power and rights)

John Locke (1632-1704) what did he propose?

– Political Philosopher -

First to introduce the concept of Universal Rights

Believed that rights shouldn’t depend on birth/kings/customs/laws 

Introduced the concept of Natural/inherent rights by taking God out of the equation, power isn’t from god (divine rights) but from nature

Believed that the primary goal of a government chosen by its people was to preserve the members of society/their lives, liberties, powers and their rights

Who did John Locke inspire

- John Locke’s writings inspired the American Revolution

What are the three rights John Locke talks about?

rights are inherent, and 1. life 2. liberty 3. possessions/property

What provoked The American Revolution (1765-1783)

13 colonies rebelled against the British empire due to a series of distasteful policies and imposed taxes without colonial representation in parliment. “No taxation without representation”

those born in US didn’t consider themselves English and had no feelings towards UK.

Why was the American rev significant?

the rebels won against the powerful British army, strongest military and navy.

France assisted the American revolutionaries and helped them secure victory against Britain led the French soldiers to bring radical ideas of liberty and Republicanism back to France→ the French Revolution

who was Thomas Paine (1737-1809)

→ Political philosopher & American Founding Father

- Author of 1776 pamphlet Common Sense → Written in simple language (inspired by Diderot & Rousseau) where he pictures a society where:

The LAW is KING

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

→ American Founding Father

- Primary Author of the Declaration of independence (inspired by enlightenment ideals)

- Borrows from Locke (similar phrasing) = “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

this new idea = everyone has the right to pursue education,career, etc. (not blocked by status)

France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens, who does it apply to?

+25 yrs, male, tax payer (had to have enough income, since nearly 3 days of work was taxed), not servant, french citizen

France’s declaration, history background

summer of 1789, National Assembly written by 3rd estate respresentative while angry mob takes over the bastille. but campaigns s

the signifcance of the french declaration

template for later delcaration, provides rights to certain member of the public (4.3million on 27million population)

Society for the Friends of Blacks (late 18th C.)

in 1790 present their arguments in 1794 slavery abolished but Nap reinstates

- Advocated for humane treatment for all

- Advocated for the abolition of slave TRADE (capturing, kidnapping and selling of slaves), they didn’t say to abolish slavery completely (go lil by lil)

- Human rights for all (slaves too)

Jewish petition to the National Assembly (1790)

1)What historic wrongs have the Jewish people suffered?

2) What do their demands have to do with the French Revolution and the ideas of Enlightenment?

- Equal rights and citizenship for Jews in France - Human rights for all (DDH) because jewish not citizens

1)➢Always degraded ➢Excluded from Jobs ➢Unable to do Commerce ➢ High Taxes ➢Persecuted ➢Etc.

2) Equality. You need to treat everyone equally regardless of their religions.

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Mary Wollstonecraft asks the national assembly to expand the rights to women by using the language of the declaration, 

- 1 st proponents of modern feminism (equality between men and women)

- Women were seen as inferior to men because of lack of education for young girls, and few jobs available to them 

- Human rights for all (not only men)

who was mary wollstonecraft (1759-1797) ?

– governess and respected philosopher, married to William Godwin (Political philosopher, believer in the perfectibility of man), died in Childbirth →(Daughter/Mary Godwin = Author of Frankenstein 1818)

what did the guillotine symbolize?

symbole of terror and violence of fr rev.

also sign of progress, englightnement → equality in executions

The guillotine which seemed like a sign of progress at first, later became a terrible symbol of the Reign of Terror

what changed about the executions with the guillotine?

Before the guillotine, the sentence of execution was different based on one’s social status, nobles were beheaded (which required a lot of skill) they payed to get it done swiftly, while commoners were hanged (since it was cheap and easy), mass executions →

gruesome bcz public executions = entertainment = social control= masses scared

why was the guillotine invented?

Invented by Dr. Joseph Guillotin in 1789 which he presented as a humane and egalitarian way of execution. Previously known as the “machine”.

- Humane = quick and easy

- Egalitarian = same method of execution for all

The Guillotine was a technological innovation/advancement, a sign of progress - Named Guillotine by a French poet since it rhymed with “machine”

what was the significance of the guillotine and its infamous victim?

- First used in 1792, then used to execute the king in 1793 (Symbolic moment since the king was stripped of his status and executed like any common man by the machine)

What does it mean when Paine says, “in absolute governments, the King is law”

In absolute governments, the King has all the power, everything they did and said was indisputably Law.

Paine wants America to separate from England, where “The Royal Brute of Britain” (King George III) reigns. What alternatives system of government does Paine propose?

republic, where the people democratically elect their leaders, set list of laws that can’t be altered, the law is higher 

What does it mean when he says that America’s right to govern itself is a “natural right”?

he’s advocating for the people’s right of self governance, idea of john lock that colonie have the natural right to choose how to be governed

Jefferson’s version vs Locke

It differs from Locke’s “lives, liberties and possessions” since Jefferson replaces “possessions” with “pursuit of happiness”. It then becomes “lives, liberties and the pursuit of happiness”. By pursuit of happiness, Jefferson means that there should be no limits on thrive. (One can do anything.)

Jefferson : declaration of independance text

1) a truth is “self-evident”? He means that it’s obvious in society that all men are born equal.

2) certain rights are “inalienable”? He means to say that these rights cannot be taken away, they are inseparable from humans.

3) Who grants these inalienable rights to humans? The “Creator” (God or nature) → Very vague

5) According to this document, what are men entitled to do, if their government fails to respect their rights? They should abolish the government and replace it with a new one.

France’s Declaration whose will does it express?

1) According to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, whose will does the law express? How does this differ from the Absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime?

It expresses the will of the people, community 3rd estate; this differs from the Absolute Monarchy where the law was used to express the will of the King.

Siyes vs French declaration

3) Compare this passage to Sièyes’ pamphlet “What is the Third Estate?” In what way does the Declaration of the Rights of man fulfill Sièyes’ hopes?

It fulfills his hope through the recognition that the third estate is the true nation, and that all citizens are equal and should be allowed to pursue any positions of employment.

Fundamental right fr declaration vs Declaration of indep

2) What fundamental belief does France’s Rights of Man have in common with America’s 1776 Declaration of independence?

That political power stems from the people. Also, that all men are eligible to all places of employment and their pursuit.

What unattractive role will Man take on? women benefit from rights?

Explain her thoughts on education and rights

What unattractive role will Man take on, as a result of women’s exclusion from the constitution? The role of Tyrants.

3) How will women benefit from sharing in man’s rights? What enlightenment ideals will be fulfilled? The perfectibility of man, progress.

he books are written by men that see them only as inferior, sex objects. Education allows them to get out of misery, to get a job and to consequently contribute to the progress of society. Equality grants education for both men and women, and education then contributes to progress and knowledge.

french declaration few provisions

→ No one can be seized and thrown in jail for no apparent reason.

→ Innocent until proven guilty.

→ religious freedom

→ Right of speech, expression and press.

→ Proportional Taxes based on income.

→ no one can deprive you of your property.

what was pre-industrial england like?

old system (middle ages till enlightenment)

society based on farming agricultural; provided food, textiles (cotton, linen, wool), and jobs.

fields lied fallow (empty) every 3–7 years, 1/3 of land not used to let soil regenerate

new system in agriculture

crop rotation 1700

Allowed all land to be used efficiently. ● Results: ○ More food for animals and people. ○ Better nutrition and population growth.

Switched from wood to metal tools. ● Metal tools were stronger, lasted longer, and made work faster. ● Impact: more raw materials, more manufacturing (cloth, paper), more trade