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aditiniyer
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:42 am
ESSAY QUESTION:
The following appeared in a trade publication for the insurance industry:
"Each generation of Americans has lived longer than the ones preceding it, as the national life expectancy has approached 80 years old in recent years. The progress of medical technology shows no sign of abating. Therefore, we can confidently predict that most children born in America in the next decade will live past the age of ninety."
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.
YOUR RESPONSE:
The argument is based on the premise that medical technology is bound to improve with each passing generation. The advancement in life expectancy is directly proportional to the medical advances if in case is a considerable assumption made. It might be highly likely that medical technology has reached its peak and no more progress can be made thenceforth. Hence, considerably making the conclusion that most Americans in the next decade will live past 90. Also, if we assume that medical technology does progress, it is not necessary that the rate of progress results in the average life expectancy to be above 90.It could be above 82, 85, 87 based highly upon the rate of medical advancement made in the coming decade.
Given the countless assumptions in the above argument, I believe the author has a very assertive conclusion not backed by facts.Though if the author can provide an evidence through an analysis of the past decades with solid data points which give a positive correlation between the advancement in medical technology and the life expectancy, the argument would become stronger.
The following appeared in a trade publication for the insurance industry:
"Each generation of Americans has lived longer than the ones preceding it, as the national life expectancy has approached 80 years old in recent years. The progress of medical technology shows no sign of abating. Therefore, we can confidently predict that most children born in America in the next decade will live past the age of ninety."
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.
YOUR RESPONSE:
The argument is based on the premise that medical technology is bound to improve with each passing generation. The advancement in life expectancy is directly proportional to the medical advances if in case is a considerable assumption made. It might be highly likely that medical technology has reached its peak and no more progress can be made thenceforth. Hence, considerably making the conclusion that most Americans in the next decade will live past 90. Also, if we assume that medical technology does progress, it is not necessary that the rate of progress results in the average life expectancy to be above 90.It could be above 82, 85, 87 based highly upon the rate of medical advancement made in the coming decade.
Given the countless assumptions in the above argument, I believe the author has a very assertive conclusion not backed by facts.Though if the author can provide an evidence through an analysis of the past decades with solid data points which give a positive correlation between the advancement in medical technology and the life expectancy, the argument would become stronger.
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