Truly! Studying logical fallacies and how logical arguments develop is an enjoyable topic and I think it is one that homeschoolers need to make sure is part of their high school curriculum.
My favorite as far as social issues go is the one one contraception and abortion. Pro-choices, and even many pro-contraceptive Christians will argue that there is absolutely no connection. My argument is two fold.
1. If they aren’t connected then please explain how the wide spread use and acceptance of abortion could have occurred without the widespread use and acceptance of contraception first. or
2. If contraception didn’t pave the way then what did?
I recently mentioned this on a TWA thread. There are a lot of NYU students and of course young liberals there so I was thinking if these arguments were going to be trumped at all it could happen there.
They weren’t. Here’s a sampling.
Not surprisingly neither of you were able to address my two points. No one ever has
1. How could widespread acceptance and use of abortion have become possible without the widespread acceptance and use of contraceptives first.
2. And if contraception didn’t pave the road for the acceptance and wide spread use of abortion, then what did?
Here are some of the replies.
1. At the risk of singling you out, Elena, there is simply no discussing logic with you, as your absolutist views will never be convinced by any mountain of evidence to the contrary.
OK. Answer with an ad hominem and don’t even attempt the challenge. Not very satisfying for either side and certainly is neither compelling or persuasive.
2. As to your questions, contraceptives are not a “slippery slope” that lead to abortion – they are an abortion-preventative measure.
Doesn’t meet either challenge either just restates the liberal, pro-contraception position.
3. Widespread acceptance of abortion could easily have become possible without the widespread acceptance of birth control if humankind were incapable of inventing birth control but were capable of inventing abortion. It didn’t happen that way.
You’re right. It didn’t. So it’s really not much of a match for the challenge.
4. The social and political climate created by generations of treating women like second class citizens whose only acceptable place was pregnant and in the home led to legalized abortion. After a few generations grew up in a world which included de-stigmatized, legalized abortion, abortion became more widely accepted.
But to go with this answer you have to pretend that contraceptive use and acceptance didn’t exist. It did. Again not much of a match for the challenge.
Now this one is more interesting.
5. Personally, I think I made the case quite clearly that you’re begging the question, “Is there widespread acceptance of abortion?” Furthermore, I argued the case that, no, there isn’t widespread acceptance of abortion, only pragmatic tolerance of it, which pretty much covers your both your points.
I disagree and I think he is arguing semantics. Abortion is accepted, it’s the law of the land, and it’s even defended as a “right.” Not just in this country either.
Rather disappointing – but not surprising.
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