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Chapter 9 Watching Words

Chapter 9 Watching Words. Critical Thinking-Tools for Ethical Decisions “Drunks who drive are callous and mindless-they are murderers with a dangerous weapon, just as they’d gone and knifed somebody in cold blood. They should be severely punished.”. Chapter 9

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Chapter 9 Watching Words

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  1. Chapter 9 Watching Words Critical Thinking-Tools for Ethical Decisions “Drunks who drive are callous and mindless-they are murderers with a dangerous weapon, just as they’d gone and knifed somebody in cold blood. They should be severely punished.” 9 Watching Words

  2. Chapter 9 Watching Words Critical Thinking-Tools for Ethical Decisions Loaded Language “watch your language!” Words that can manipulate our feelings, leading us into prepackaged moral commitment without ever thinking it through. “Drunks who drive are callous and mindless-they are murderers with a dangerous weapon, just as they’d gone and knifed somebody in cold blood. They should be severely punished.” What do we hear? Exaggeration and depersonalization and inaccurate comparisons and language that plays on our feelings. Use neutral and carefully descriptive language. 9 Watching Words

  3. Chapter 9 Watching Words Unloaded Language How can we “unload” the statement with alcohol and driving use. “People who drive under the influence of alcohol may have a poor sense of (or not care about?) the risk they pose to other people. Strong penalties might remind people of the risks (or send a message that society takes them seriously?) Thus, we should enact strong penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol.” Strong feeling is fine-the problem comes when we offer nothing else. “The heat is greater than the light.” 9 Watching Words 3

  4. Chapter 9 Watching Words • When Terms Are Unclear • Agree on a definition so everyone is on the same page. • Be precise with the definition. • Get technical if needed. • Use a dictionary. • Use neutral terms • Example: Lighthouse as a “fixture”. 9 Watching Words 4

  5. Chapter 9 Watching Words • When Terms Are Contested • Debating what the term means • Work from the Clear Cases • Includes all the things that the term clearly fits • Excludes all the things that the term clearly does not fit • Draws the plainest possible lines somewhere in between, and explains why the line belongs there and not somewhere else. • Example and exercise: Define Drug or Define Person • Chart the steps and arguments 9 Watching Words 5

  6. Exercises and Notes: Finding a Neutral Voice Page 156 Clarifying Unclear Terms Page 156 Defining Contested Terms Page 157 9 Watching Words

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