Sylvan Barnet, professor of English and former director of writing at Tufts University, is the most prolific
and consistently successful college English textbook author in the country. His several texts on writing and his
numerous anthologies for introductory composition and literature courses have remained leaders in their field through
many editions.
Hugo Bedau, professor of philosophy at Tufts University, has served as chair of the philosophy department and chair
of the university�s committee on College Writing. An internationally respected expert on the death penalty, and
on moral, legal, and political philosophy, he has written or edited a number of books on these topics. He is the
author of Thinking and Writing about Philosophy, Second Edition (Bedford/St. Martin�s).
Summary
The unique collaborative effort of a distinguished interdisciplinary team � a professor of English and a professor
of philosophy � Current Issues and Enduring Questions is a balanced and flexible book that provides the benefit
of the authors� dual expertise in effective persuasive writing and rigorous critical thinking. Its comprehensive
coverage of classic and contemporary approaches to argument includes Aristotle, Toulmin, and a range of alternative
views, making it an extraordinarily versatile text. Readings on contemporary controversies (including the purpose
of a college education, immigration, a peacetime draft, and obesity) and classic philosophical questions (such
as, How free is the will of the individual?) are sure to spark student interest and lively discussion and writing.
Refined through seven widely adopted previous editions, it has been revised to address current student interests
and trends in argument, research, and writing, and has been updated with compelling new topics and readings and
more on analyzing visuals and presenting oral arguments. No other text and reader offers such an extensive resource
for teaching argument.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Part One
Critical Thinking and Writing
1 Critical Thinking Thinking about Drivers� Licenses and Photographic Identification Thinking About Another Issue
Concerning Drivers� Licenses: Imagination, Analysis, Evaluation
*Thinking about Student Evaluations of their Professors
*Idea Prompt: Visualizing Pros and Cons Writing as a Way of Thinking
*Getting Ideas
*Idea Prompt: Understanding Classical Topics A Checklist for Critical Thinking
A Short Essay Illustrating Critical Thinking
*Harlan Coben, The Undercover Parent
*Letters of Response by Carol Weston, Jan Brotman, and Marissa Isaak
A Checklist for Evaluating Letters of Response Examining Assumptions A Checklist for Examining Assumptions
*Peter Cave, Should We Save the Jerboa?
Five Exercises in Critical Thinking
2 Critical Reading: Getting Started
Active Reading Summarizing and Paraphrasing A Note about Paraphrase and Plagiarism Last Words (Almost) about Summarizing
Susan Jacoby, A First Amendment Junkie Summarizing Jacoby, Paragraph by Paragraph
A Checklist for Getting Started
*Anya Kamenetz, You�re 16, You�re Beautiful and You�re a Voter
*Exercise: Examining Paragraphs
*Letters of Response by Betty Agard, Robert Epstein, Delia McQuade Emmons, and Amanda Bergson-Shilcock
Gwen Wilde (student essay), Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should Be Revised
A Casebook for Critical Reading: Should Some Kinds of Speech be Censored?
Susan Brownmiller, Let�s Put Pornography Back in the Closet Charles R. Lawrence III, On Racist Speech Derek Bok,
Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus
*Andrew Keen, Douse the Online Flamers
*Thinking Further about Freedom of Expression, Cyberbullying, and Facebook Exercise: Letter to the Editor
3 Critical Reading: Getting Deeper into Arguments Persuasion, Argument, Dispute Reason versus Rationalization Some
Procedures in Argument Definition
*Idea Prompt: Ways to Give Definitions A Checklist for Evaluation Statistical Evidence Nonrational Appeals Does
All Writing Contain Arguments?
A Checklist for Analyzing an Argument
An Example: An Argument and a Look at the Writer�s Strategies George F. Will, Being Green at Ben and Jerry�s George
F. Will�s Strategies
Arguments for Analysis
*Stanley Fish, When �Identity� Politics is Rational
*James Carroll, If Poison Gas Can Go, Why Not Nukes?
Gloria Jiménez (student essay), Against the Odds, and Against the Common Good Anna Lisa Raya (student essay),
It�s Hard Enough Being Me Ronald Takaki, The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority James Q. Wilson, Just Take Away
Their Guns Sally Satel, Death�s Waiting List Letters of Response by Dorothy H. Hayes, Charles B. Fruit, and Michelle
Goodwin
*Heather Rogers, Hiding in Plain Sight
4 Visual Rhetoric: Images as Arguments
Some Uses of Images Appeals to the Eye Are Some Images not Fit to be Shown?
*Politics and Pictures Exercises: Thinking about Images Reading Advertisements A Checklist for Analyzing Images
(Especially Advertisements)
Writing about a Political Cartoon
*Idea Prompt: Analysis of a Political Cartoon A Checklist for Analyzing Political Cartoons
Jackson Smith (student essay), Pledging Nothing?
Visuals as Aids to Clarity: Maps, Graphs, Tables, and Pie Charts A Checklist for Charts and Graphs A Note on Using
Visuals in Your Own Paper A Note on Formatting Your Paper: Document Design
Additional Images for Analysis Nora Ephron, The Boston Photographs
Part Two Critical Writing
5 Writing an Analysis of an Argument
Analyzing an Argument
*Idea Prompt: Drawing Conclusions and Implying Proof An Argument, Its Elements, and a Student�s Analysis of the
Argument
Nicholas D. Kristof, For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle Betsy Swinton (student essay), Tracking Kristof
An Analysis of the Student�s Analysis
A Checklist for Writing an Analysis of an Argument
Arguments for Analysis Jeff Jacoby, Bring Back Flogging Gerald Jones, Violent Media Is Good for Kids Sunaura Taylor
and Alexander Taylor, Is It Possible To Be a Conscientious Meat Eater?
Peter Singer, Animal Liberation Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
6 Developing an Argument of Your Own
Planning, Drafting, and Revising an Argument A Checklist for a Thesis Statement A Checklist for Imagining an Audience
*Idea Prompt: Using Transitions in Argument A Checklist for Attending to the Needs of the Audience Peer Review
A Peer Review Checklist for a Draft of an Argument
A Student�s Essay, from Rough Notes to Final Version Emily Andrews, Why I Don�t Spare �Spare Change�
The Essay Analyzed
Exercise
7 Using Sources
Why Use Sources?
Choosing a Topic Finding Material Finding Quality Information on the Web A Word about Wikipedia Finding Articles
Using Library Databases Locating Books Interviewing Peers and Local Authorities Evaluating Your Sources A Checklist
for Evaluating Print Sources Taking Notes A Checklist for Evaluating Electronic Sources A Note on Plagiarizing,
Paraphrasing, and Using Common Knowledge A Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism Compiling an Annotated Bibliography
Writing the Paper Quoting from Sources
*Incorporating Your Reading into Your Thinking: The Art and Science of Synthesis The Use and Abuse of Quotations
How to Quote A Checklist for Using Quotations Rather than Summaries Documentation
*Idea Prompt: Signal Phrases A Note on Footnotes (and Endnotes)
MLA Format: Citations within the Text MLA Format: The List of Works Cited APA Format: Citations within the Text
APA Format: The List of References A Checklist for Papers Using Sources
An Annotated Student Research Paper in MLA Format Theresa Washington, Why Trials Should Not Be Televised
An Annotated Student Research Paper in APA Format Laura Deveau, The Role of Spirituality and Religion in Mental
Health
Part Three Further Views on Argument
8 A Philosopher�s View: The Toulmin Model
The Claim Grounds Warrants Backing Modal Qualifiers Rebuttals
A Model Analysis Using the Toulmin Method
A Checklist for Using the Toulmin Method
Putting the Toulmin Method to Work: Responding to an Argument
Michael S. Dukakis and Daniel J. B. Mitchell, Raise Wages, Not Walls
Thinking with Toulmin�s Method
9 A Logician�s View: Deduction, Induction, Fallacies
Deduction Induction Fallacies Fallacies of Ambiguity Fallacies of Presumption Fallacies of Relevance
A Checklist for Evaluating an Argument from a Logical Point of View
Exercise: Fallacies--Or Not?
Max Shulman, Love Is a Fallacy
10 A Moralist�s View: Ways of Thinking Ethically
Amoral Reasoning Immoral Reasoning Moral Reasoning: A Closer Look Criteria for Moral Rules A Checklist for Moral
Reasoning
Peter Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality Garret Hardin, Lifeboat Ethics: The Case against Helping the Poor
Randy Cohen, Three Letters (to an Ethicist)
11 A Lawyer�s View: Steps toward Civic Literacy
Civil and Criminal Cases Trial and Appeal Decision and Opinion Majority, Concurring, and Dissenting Opinions Facts
and Law Balancing Interests A Word of Caution
A Checklist for Analyzing Legal Arguments
A Casebook on the Law and Society: What Rights do the Constitution and the Bill of Rights Protect?
Byron R. White and John Paul Stevens, New Jersey v. T.L.O.
Harry Blackmun and William H. Rehnquist, Roe v. Wade
12 A Psychologist�s View: Rogerian Argument
Rogerian Argument: An Introduction
Carl R. Rogers, Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation
A Checklist for Analyzing Rogerian Argument
*Edward O. Wilson, Letter to a Southern Baptist Minister
13 A Literary Critic�s View: Arguing about Literature
Interpreting Judging (or Evaluating)
Theorizing A Checklist for an Argument about Literature
Examples: Two Students Interpret Robert Frost�s �Mending Wall�
Robert Frost, Mending Wall Jonathan Deutsch, The Deluded Speaker in Frost�s �Mending Wall�
Felicia Alonso, The Debate in Robert Frost�s �Mending Wall�
Exercises: Reading a Poem and a Story Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress Kate Chopin, The Story of an Hour Thinking
about the Effects of Literature Plato, �The Greater Part of the Stories Current Today We Shall Have to Reject�
Thinking about Government Funding for the Arts
14 A Debater�s View: Individual Oral Presentations and Debate
*Classroom Individual Oral Presentations
*Personal Appearance
*Forms of Delivery
*The Language of the Talk
*Pace of Speaking
*Movement
*Audiovisual Aids
* A Checklist for an Oral Presentation
Formal Debates Standard Debate Format The Audience Delivery The Talk A Checklist for Preparing for a Debate
Part Four Current Issues: Occasions for Debate
Debates as an Aid to Thinking A Checklist for Analyzing a Debate
*15 The Equal Rights Amendment: Is It Still Needed?
*Idella Moore, Yes
*Analyzing a Visual: The Equal Rights Amendment
*Phyllis Schlafly, No
*16 Genetic Modification of Human Beings: Is It Acceptable?
*Ronald M. Green, Building Babies from the Genes Up
*Analyzing a Visual: Human Genetic Modification
*Richard Hayes, Genetically Modified Humans? No Thanks
17 Obesity: Who Is Responsible for Our Weight?
Radley Balko, Are You Responsible for Your Own Weight? Pro Analyzing a Visual: Obesity Kelly Brownell and Marion
Nestle, Are You Responsible for Your Own Weight? Con
*18 Racial Profiling: Should Airports Use It to Screen Passengers?
*Clifford S. Fishman, Yes, Racial Profiling Is Sometimes Acceptable
*Analyzing a Visual: Airport Racial Profiling
*Jean Abinader, No, Racial Profiling Is Unacceptable
*19 Romantic Relationships between Faculty and Students: Should Colleges Prohibit Them?
*Paul R. Abramson, The Right to Romance: Why Universities Shouldn�t Prohibit Relations Between Teachers and Students
*Analyzing a Visual: Teacher-Student Relationships
*Duke University, Duke University�s Policy on Consensual Relationships
20 Single-Sex Classrooms: Do They Offer Advantages?
*Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers, Differences Should Not Drive a Curriculum
*Analyzing a Visual: Single-Sex Classrooms
*Sally Reed, Girls and Boys Thrive in Separate Classrooms Part Five Current Issues: Casebooks
21 College Education: What Is Its Purpose?
Stanley Fish, Why We Built the Ivory Tower David Brooks, �Moral Suicide,� À la Wolfe�
Letters of Response by Scott Bradley, Barry Oshry, Paul Cutrone, and Rebecca Chopp Patrick Allitt, Should Undergraduates
Specialize?
Letters of Response by Carol Geary Schneider and Ellis M. West
*Marty Nemko, America�s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor�s Degree
*Charles Murray, Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?
*Letters of Response by Charles Axilbund, Jacques Jimenez, Jeff Adler, Lillian Hoodes, Larry Hoffner Sandra Sherman,
and Michel Dedina,
Louis Menand, Re-imagining Liberal Education
22 The Death Penalty: Is It Ever Justified?
Edward I. Koch, Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life David Bruck, The Death Penalty George Ryan,
Speech Announcing Commutation of All Illinois Prisoners� Death Sentences Gary Wills, The Dramaturgy of Death Potter
Stewart, Gregg v. Georgia Harry Blackmun, Dissenting Opinion in Callins v. Collins Helen Prejean, Executions Are
Too Costly�Morally Alex Kozinski and Sean Gallagher, For an Honest Death Penalty
23 Drugs: Should Their Sale and Use Be Legalized?
William J. Bennett, Drug Policy and the Intellectuals James Q. Wilson, Against the Legalization of Drugs Milton
Friedman, There�s No Justice in the War on Drugs Elliot Currie, Toward a Policy on Drugs
*24 Going Green: What Must Be Done?
*Daniel Goleman and Gregory Norris, How Green Was My Bottle
*Craig D. Rose, Here Comes the Sun
*Aldo Leopold, Thinking Like a Mountain
*Paul Bloom, Natural Happiness
*Bill McKibben, Now or Never
*Edward Abbey, Eco-Defense
25 Immigration: What Is To Be Done?
David Cole, Five Myths about Immigration Barry R. Chiswick, The Worker Next Door John Tierney, Angels in America
Victor David Hanson, Our Brave New World of Immigration Cardinal Roger Mahony, Called by God to Help
26 Sexual Harassment: Is There Any Doubt about What It Is?
Tufts University, What Is Sexual Harassment?
Ellen Goodman, The Reasonable Woman Standard Ellen Frankel Paul, Bared Buttocks and Federal Cases Sarah J. McCarthy,
Cultural Fascism
27 Marriage: What Is Its Future?
Thomas B. Stoddard, Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal Lisa Schiffren, Gay Marriage, an Oxymoron Ellen Goodman, Backward
Logic in the Courts
*Jeff Jacoby, Lawful Incest May Be on Its Way Marriage: A Portfolio of Cartoons Diane Medved, The Case against
Divorce
*Wendy Kaminer, Why Is Polygamy Illegal?
B. Aisha Lemu, In Defense of Polygamy
*28 Reproductive Rights: What Are the Limits?
Rush H. Limbaugh III, Condoms: the New Diploma Analyzing a Visual: Sex Education Anna Quindlen, A Pyrrhic Victory
Ellen Willis, Putting Women Back into the Abortion Debate 514
Randall A. Terry, The Abortion Clinic Shootings: Why? 521
*Sperm Harvesting: Is It Acceptable?
*Kathleen Nolan, Live Sperm, Dead Bodies
*Cappy Miles Rothman, Commentary
*Judith Wilson Ross, Commentary
*29 Service: A Duty? A Benefit? Or Both, or Perhaps Neither?
*Barack Obama, Commencement Address
*Peter Levine, The Case for �Service�
*Andrew J. Bacevich, The Failure of an All-Volunteer Military
*Anonymous, Rejecting the Draft Letters of Response by Richard Roth, Christian Danielsen, Norman daniels, Samuel
Z. Klausner, Per Halvorsen, and Jerry Wallingford Dave Eggers, Serve or Fail
30 Testing: What Value Do Tests Have? Testing: What Values Do Tests Have?
Paul Goodman, A Proposal to Abolish Grading Howard Gardner, Test for Aptitude, Not for Speed Letters of Response
by Thomas M. Johnson Jr., Garver Moore, Arnie Lichten, and Janet Rudolph Diane Ravitch, In Defense of Testing
*Alfie Kohn, From Degrading to De-grading Joy Alonso, Two Cheers for Examinations
31 Torture: Is It Ever Justifiable?
Michael Levin, The Case for Torture Charles Krauthammer, The Truth about Torture
*Association for the Prevention of Torture, Defusing the Ticking Time Bomb Scenario
Part Six Enduring Questions: Essays, A Story, Poems, and a Play
32 What Is the Ideal Society?
Thomas More, From Utopia Niccolo Machiavelli, From The Prince Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream W. H.
Auden, The Unknown Citizen Langston Hughes, Let America Be America Again Ursula K. Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away
from Omelas
33 How Free Is the Will of the Individual within Society?
Thoughts about Free Will Plato, Crito George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant Walter T. Stace, Is Determinism Inconsistent
with Free Will?
Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail Stanley Milgram, The Perils of Obedience
*Peter Cave, Man or Sheep?
Thomas Hardy, The Man He Killed T. S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Susan Glaspell, Trifles Mitsuye
Yamada, To the Lady
34 What Is Happiness?
Thoughts about Happiness, Ancient and Modern
*Daniel Gilbert, Does Fatherhood Make You Happy?
*Henry David Thoreau, Selections from Walden Darrin M. McMahon, In Pursuit of Unhappiness Epictetus, from The Handbook
Bertrand Russell, The Happy Life
The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, Inner Contentment C. S. Lewis, We have No �Right to Happiness�
Danielle Crittenden, About Love Judy Brady, I Want a Wife