Question

The influence of your worldview may affect your ability to detect or to avoid committing informal fallacies. A worldview is the network of beliefs, attitudes, habits, memories, values, and so on, that conditions our understanding of the world and renders it meaningful. During infancy, peoples' worldviews begin emerging quietly and unconsciously from enveloping influences such as culture, language, gender, religion, politics, and socioeconomic status. Their worldviews continue to develop as they age, shaped by factors such as educational and vocational experience.

Because worldviews are formed through processes that are largely unconscious, presuppositions are intrinsically linked to one's worldview. We bring these presuppositions into our evaluations of arguments. Thus, while someone with one worldview may consider a particular argument to be good because it is consistent with the presuppositions of that worldview, people with other worldviews—who do not share those presuppositions—may consider the same argument to be inadequate. If you are careful to look for the influence of worldviews, it may often be fairly easy to recognize what specific worldview is involved when someone accepts an argument that may otherwise appear fallacious. The key is to be alert to such influence, in your own evaluations of arguments as well as in the evaluations of others. Such alertness requires a careful examination of the presuppositions that your worldview entails.

Consider the following argumentative passages. For each passage, consider the worldview that someone is likely to have if he or she believes that the passage is a good argument. Select the answer that best indicates (1) the type of worldview most clearly reflected in the argument and (2) the clearest example of a presupposition that is entailed by that worldview and which is likely to be necessary for someone to accept the argument.

Argument A

If only those Democrats in Congress had not obstructed our Republican president's economic policies, maybe then we could have avoided this economic crisis.

Argument A reflects the worldview of many:

Soccer fanatics

Baseball fanatics

Members of a teacher's union

People who are politically aligned with the Republican Party

People who don't like unions

People who are politically aligned against the Republican Party

For example, Argument A presupposes:

That most people can relate to an appreciation of the game of baseball

That Republican economic policies are more likely to benefit the economy

That the priorities of unions are primarily directed toward gaining support that is essential to improving our children's education

That Republican economic policies favor corporations over workers

That the priorities of unions are primarily directed against making the changes that will make our schools better

That the appeal of soccer as a spectator sport should be clear to most people

Argument B

The only way our schools are going to get better is if we break away from the status quo. That's why we have to break the influence of the teacher's unions. All they're interested in is protecting the status quo.

Argument B reflects the worldview of many:

Members of a teacher's union

Soccer fanatics

Baseball fanatics

People who are politically aligned against the Republican Party

People who are politically aligned with the Republican Party

People who don't like unions

For example, Argument B presupposes:

That Republican economic policies favor corporations over workers

That Republican economic policies are more likely to benefit the economy

That the appeal of soccer as a spectator sport should be clear to most people

That most people can relate to an appreciation of the game of baseball

That the priorities of unions are primarily directed against making the changes that will make our schools better

That the priorities of unions are primarily directed toward gaining support that is essential to improving our children's education

Argument C

When the economy came crashing down, Republicans controlled Congress and the president was a Republican. Clearly, for the sake of our economy, we need a Democratic president and a Democratic majority in Congress!

Argument C reflects the worldview of many:

Workers in the auto industry

People who work in the financial industry

People who are politically aligned with the Democratic Party

Atheists

People opposed to Republican policies

Theists

For example, Argument C presupposes:

That religious faith does not provide adequate reason to believe something is true

That Republican governmental policies tend to adversely affect the economy

That Democratic governmental policies are more likely to benefit the economy

That the financial industry's interests are always consistent with the interests of the government's general constituency

That the interests of the auto industry are more representative of the interests of "everyday" citizens

That religious faith provides an adequate reason to believe something is true

Argument D

No one has ever been able to give unequivocal proof for the existence of God. Therefore, we must assume that God does not exist.

Argument D reflects the worldview of many:

Workers in the auto industry

Theists

People who are politically aligned with the Democratic Party

People who work in the financial industry

People opposed to Republican policies

Atheists

For example, Argument D presupposes:

That the financial industry's interests are always consistent with the interests of the government's general constituency

That Republican governmental policies tend to adversely affect the economy

That Democratic governmental policies are more likely to benefit the economy

That religious faith does not provide adequate reason to believe something is true

That religious faith provides an adequate reason to believe something is true

That the interests of the auto industry are more representative of the interests of "everyday" citizens

Answer 1

1. Argument A reflects the worldview of many: People who are politically aligned with the Republican Party.
Argument A presupposes: That Republican economic policies are more likely to benefit the economy.

2. Argument B reflects the worldview of many: People who don't like unions.

Argument B presupposes: That the priorities of unions are primarily directed against making the changes that will make our schools better.

3. Argument C reflects the worldview of many: People who are politically aligned with the Democratic Party.

Argument C presupposes: That Democratic governmental policies are more likely to benefit the economy.

4. Argument D reflects the worldview of many: Atheists.

Argument D presupposes: That religious faith does not provide adequate reason to believe something is true.