...examples from Kenya and elsewhere, discuss why taking development to the people is a fallacy. What is a fallacy? A frequently committed mistake in reasoning. A systematic error in reasoning Taking development to the people “Taking” means moving something from its original point of stature. According to UNDP, the term development means 'to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to resources needed for a decent standard of living and to be able to participate in the life of the community.' “the people”, according to the oxford dictionary refers to the ordinary men and women of a country rather than those who govern or have a special position in the society. (common mwananchi) My understanding of the statement: giving common citizens or people the ability/ empowering them economically, socially for there general well being. Fallacy: We can take development to the people The fallacy in reasoning here is that we can empower local people so that they can take control of their own lives, express their own demands and find their own solutions to their problems. According to this fallacy, the empowerment of common citizens by people in governance or those who have a special position in the society is possible and likely to be achieved; it presumes that the government/ the high & mighty in the society are willing to empower the local people and the latter are ready to receive the empowerment. This fallacy fails to address pertinent issues that...
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...called Chris has placed a comment below my last little piece on aid and conditionality and, as is sometimes the case when he resists his impulse to troll, he has made some almost-sensible points. Or at least, points that have had much currency in the mainstream media and debates about international development. So I thought I’d take the time to discuss them here. In his post Chris wrote: ...the fact remains, Africa's problems are by and large internal…True, agricultural subsidies must be lifted by the US and the EU, but simply throwing aid money at the problem will ultimately come to no good. After all, even when African countries do possess sources of great wealth--diamonds in Sierra Leone and oil in Nigeria, for instance--those resources often end up being a curse on95% of the respective country's populace. On the other hand, a few nations have done better through internal improvements; Botswana is often cited as an example of this, but their 40% Aids rate--definitely attributable to rampant sexual activity--is impossible to overlook. Encapsulated in this spiel are what could be termed ‘the four great fallacies of the Africa Debate’. I’ll attend to each of these in turn. Fallacy 1 - Africa’s problems are by in large internal There’s no denying that some of Africa’s problems are internal but the claim that they are entirely (or even by in large internal) is demonstrably false: it ignores history and turns a blind eye to the interconnected world that we live in. For...
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...Abstract In his memo, Mr. Anil Ravaswami, Vice-President of Human Resources, analyzes Ms. Forsythe’s, The Director of Operations, proposal to fund a new leadership development program. He expresses to the CEO of Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa, Ms. Cynthia Castle, his dilemma which is, “Is it necessary to invest in a leadership development program?” (A. Ravaswami, personal communication, October 10, 2012). In which he states that the senior executive members never attended a leadership seminar but on average, the company's growth continues to excel. He challenges the proposition by stating that “leaders are born, not made”. He points out that leadership comes from within and that you cannot make someone become a leader. For one, to be a leader, he/she must possess qualities such as intelligence, motivation, and the ability to be influential. He goes on to list a group of leaders who possess similar qualities in comparison to one another. His theory disputes that it would be meaningless to train those who aren't natural born leaders as opposed to those who are. The methodology of Asking the Right Questions was used to analyze the memo which involves ten critical analysis steps to analyze and evaluate the author's argument. What are the issue and conclusions? The issues in the memo are that the Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa are mulling on the decision to budget...
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...WHY TAKING DEVELOPMENT TO THE PEOPLE IS A FALLACY. I. Introduction No area of economics has experienced as many abrupt changes in leading paradigm during the post Word War II era as has economic development. Since economic development is a policy science, the twists and turns in development economics have had profound implications for development policy. Specifically, the dominant development model has determined policy prescriptions concerning the desirable: role of government in the economy; its degree of interventionism; the form interventionism; and the nature of government-market interactions. Changes in both theory and policy prescriptions arise mainly from the following five sources: First, there is learning. As our empirical and theoretical knowledge-base enlarges, new theoretical propositions, or new evidence concerning either resounding real-world successes or conspicuous real world failures, become apparent. These feed into new theoretical or empirical paradigms. Second, there are changes in ideology. As different power-elites ascend and wane, their ideologies ascend and wane with them. New ideologies provide new prisms through which to view both old theories and old policy prescriptions. When they are inconsistent with new fundamental values, they must be reformulated so as to achieve congruence. Third, there are (exogenous?) changes in the international environment. When major technological innovations, such as the Industrial or the Communications...
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...too many people going to college? This question has been contemplated over for years. The increased cost of college throughout the years has caused the question to become even more relevant. Charles Murray, an author from the American Enterprise Institute, wrote the essay entitled “Are Too Many People Going to College?” Murray’s essay sought ought to explain that universities are being filled with students who are either not prepared for higher education or who are compelled into attending college and are unable to succeed because the lack of inherent abilities. While Murray makes many pertinent points about America’s infatuation with the B.A as a standard into a class of intellectual elite the essay does not take into consideration the individual influences that may lead to a student’s success. This essay will analyze and critique Murray’s view of why the pursuit of a B.A can lead to more harm than good. Murray’s main argument throughout his essay is that the perceived reward of a college degree disseminates to those seeking higher education and inevitably does more harm than good. He argues that many students do not have the ability to enjoy and finish a four year degree. This leads the student to being stigmatized and in debt due to his or her failure. Murray further establishes his argument by saying that more people continue to go to college because they are programmed into believing, regardless of their abilities, to pursue college as an essential development into becoming...
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...status-quo have an inherent cost associated with them as resistance to change can be at the cost of intellectual freedom and insight. If we are to grow as individuals, we must embrace change and the positive benefits it brings. This course, Critical Reasoning, has been quite effective in encouraging me to seek a deeper level of insight and understanding, to challenge what we believe and why. On a personal level change in my thinking has started in multiple areas. Level of Thinking Prior to this course I did not considered the level of my thinking. I have become a critic of my thinking process. The realization of being a beginning thinker has resulted in a desire to move forward to achieving the goal of being an accomplished thinker. While beginning thinkers desire to improve but lack practice, accomplished thinkers possess reasoning skills which have become natural in their daily use (Mason, 2007). I order to achieve this greater thinking level, I am trying to use time more productively in order...
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...Fallacy Summary and Application Paper Introduction Logical Fallacies are methods in argumentations or persuasions that may look or sound good and truthful but do not stand up to critical analysis. These are errors of reasoning that may be recognized by prudent thinkers (Downes, 1995). Fallacies are more than just mistaken belief, it is a flaw in argument that may be intentionally created by a person who has an agenda or may be due to a simple error. On the other hand, Fischer (1970; p. 306) in contrast with fallacy explains logic as follows: “Logic is not everything. But it is something something which can be taught, something which can be learned, something which can help us in some degree to think more sensibly about the dangerous world in which we live.” Logical fallacies are commonly used in order to manipulate a situation or worse when an individual does not recognize the fallacies in the argument, he can be manipulated during the decision making process. As such it is necessary for every individual to use critical thinking particularly during the decision-making process for him or her to become aware of logical fallacies and how these relate to decision-making. Critical thinking as against logical fallacies is a process being used particularly in resolving a problem. It is a mental process of analyzing and evaluating information such as statements or propositions being offered as truth. This process involves reflection of the meaning of statements given, examinations...
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...LONG AGO AND NOT TRUE ANYWAY BLOGGING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, POLITICS AND LIVING WITH DISEASE. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2005 Four Fallacies of African Development Someone called Chris has placed a comment below my last little piece on aid and conditionality and, as is sometimes the case when he resists his impulse to troll, he has made some almost-sensible points. Or at least, points that have had much currency in the mainstream media and debates about international development. So I thought I’d take the time to discuss them here. In his post Chris wrote: ...the fact remains, Africa's problems are by and large internal…True, agricultural subsidies must be lifted by the US and the EU, but simply throwing aid money at the problem will ultimately come to no good. After all, even when African countries do possess sources of great wealth--diamonds in Sierra Leone and oil in Nigeria, for instance--those resources often end up being a curse on95% of the respective country's populace. On the other hand, a few nations have done better through internal improvements; Botswana is often cited as an example of this, but their 40% Aids rate--definitely attributable to rampant sexual activity--is impossible to overlook. Encapsulated in this spiel are what could be termed ‘the four great fallacies of the Africa Debate’. I’ll attend to each of these in turn. Fallacy 1 - Africa’s problems are by in large internal There’s no denying that some of Africa’s problems are internal...
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...to persuade them). You may also wish to make your readers act on the issue, in which case you will have to specify what they should do. Audience To reinforce for your readers your credibility (ethos), you will * employ a formal tone * include much evidence from outside sources to support your arguments * analyse these arguments in depth You should consider whether or not your audience is familiar with the issue. If not, you will have to provide more background information than you would for a knowing audience. You should gauge your readers’ stance on the issue. Are they * supportive? (i.e., do they agree with your stance?) * hostile? (i.e., do they disagree with your stance?) * wavering? (i.e., have they yet to take a stance on the issue?) Your readers’ stance will influence the amount and kinds of evidence you will need to support your arguments. Topic In general, when you are going to write an argumentative essay, you should choose a topic that * is not so narrow that you are unable to find sufficient support for your arguments * is not so broad that your essay will merely skim the surface, allowing no depth * is controversial (i.e., contains an argument) For the purposes of this course, though, you will be selecting a...
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...make a decision shall ensure that their critical thinking light is turned on. I have evaluated the memo using the ten step critical thinking method developed in Asking the Right Questions (Browne & Keeley, 2012 p. 9). As part of this method, systematic evaluation is completed by asking yourself ten different questions that help to identify things such as bias opinions, false statements or fallacies, attitudes, omitted information and even help to identify rival causes for reasons given or evidence used. By using this method of critical thinking, Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa (CHCM) will have a much more clear perspective as to whether or not a leadership development program should be created and funded for junior insurance executives. What are the issues and the conclusions? The first of Browne and Keeley’s ten step method is to ask yourself, “What are the issues and the conclusions” (Browne & Keeley, 2012 p. 18). When you read Mr. Ravaswami’s memo you can clearly identify the prescriptive issue at hand which is whether or not CHCM should establish and fund a new leadership development program for junior insurance executives. The issue here is clearly a prescriptive one as Mr. Ravaswami’s memo is attempting to persuade Ms. Cynthia Castle, CHCM’s Vice President of Human Resources that choosing to establish and fund this program would be both wrong as well as bad for the company. Mr. Ravaswami’s conclusion is that CHCM should not invest in the proposed initiative to...
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...that CHCM did not have before; a new leadership development program specifically design for junior insurance executives. Mr. Ravaswami is suggesting to Ms. Castle not to invest on the leadership training because it will a waste of time and the money can be spent more wisely. I analyzed Mr. Ravaswami’s memo using the ten steps of critical thinking model from the book Asking the Right Questions. The way I accomplished this task was by asking one question at a time and explaining my results. What are the issues and the conclusion? The first step of the critical thinking model asks what are the issues and the conclusion with Mr. Ravaswami’s memo. After a senior executive meeting, the director of operations has suggested that it will be a good investment for CHCM to start a leadership development program for their junior financial executives. Mr. Ravaswami wrote a memo to Ms. Castle explaining his beliefs that CHCM should not proceed with the request because the program is not necessary and he concluded that the money could be spent better. What are the reasons? The second step asks for the reason why Mr. Ravaswami is suggesting not establishing a new leadership development program. As the first reason, the VP of resource discussed that in the last 50 years CHCM had an average rate of growth of 12% per year. He also pointed out in the memo that no one out of the 12 senior executives ever attended leadership development training and this has not...
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... Critical thinking is a term used most often by people and sometimes really don’t think about it what means and why questions are asked in a setting ways or why setting phrases are asked how and why? According to the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Crit-Think-Audio, critical thinking model helps in the analyzation and finding solution to complex organizational problems that affect decision making ability of managers. By definition, critical thinking means making reasoned judgement that are logical and well thought-out. That is, a way of thinking that you don’t just accept all argument and conclusions, but rather you have an attitude by questioning every notion which raises the question of how and why? According to the UMUC Crit-Think-Audio, people who asked questions on how get a job and the people that ask question why be there bosses. However, this paper is for the analyzation of the Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa (CHCM) Memo, and also, using the critical thinking model as described in the textbook, asking the right questions and applying the several steps as reveled by Browne and Keeley (Browne & Keeley, 2015, to measure up the argument described in the CHCM memo. The critical thinking model was prepared and applied in a memo by CHCM in evaluating the effectiveness of management improvement and development program that will enhance a leadership development program of junior financial executives for the future advancement...
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...beliefs already in mind. Cooperative enterprise – two people have opposing views; one person sets his beliefs aside and help the other to strengthen his argument. Critical reasoning misconceptions – it’s too rigid or linear, it supposes that there is a right and wrong point of view. Argument – reasons for believing something or acting in a certain way If the author is attempting to state what has happened, or what is the case, or what something is like, he is engaged in descriptive writing, not argumentation If he is trying to prove something by giving reasons, he is engaged in argumentative writing. Diatribe is bitter and violent criticism or invective Examples of diatribe are often found in letters to the editor, in which people tend to give vent to their strong feelings instead of backing up their opinions with arguments. Consider the following (fictitious) letter: The politicians are at it again. An election coming up, and new spending just “happens” to be needed. Name your favourite issue, and you will find money for it—health care, education, social services. And tax cuts too? I don’t trust a single one of them. It is clear that the author of this letter believes that the new money allocated to social programs has more to do with an upcoming election than with real needs of the electorate, but she doesn’t give any reasons for this view. Roughly speaking, explanations are answers to certain kinds of “why” or “how” questions, questions about...
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...primal need to make sense of the environment in which they live (Prooijen 1). That same primal urge of curiosity drives us to question the events that take place and shape daily lives. Naturally, we want to feel in control of our life, but when that control comes into question we want to blame others to deflect blame off of ourselves. The feeling of no control is a prime factor in the development of a conspiracy theorist (Prooijen 1). Conspiracies often circulate around people or events of great magnitude. Theorists try to explain this imbalance of power with the existence of a powerful and evil enemy. By creating the “man behind the curtain,” someone who pulls on the strings of fate, everyday people have a reason for why things...
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...1. Question : For John Dewey, open-minded inquiry is: Student Answer: The virtue that prevents habit from making us unwilling to hear other ideas Something only a child can do For people who are weak in their beliefs Reinforcing our own beliefs by talking with people who share those beliefs The childlike wonder and interest in new ideas Instructor Explanation: The answer can be found from the “Open-Minded Inquiry” page found here:http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/open-minded-inquiry/579 Points Received: 1 of 1 Comments: Question 2. Question : This is the term for presentation of an idea through one-sided and emotional rhetoric: Student Answer: Tolerance Relativism Propaganda Television Open-mindedness Instructor Explanation: The answer can be found from the “Open-Minded Inquiry” page found here:http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/open-minded-inquiry/579 Points Received: 1 of 1 Comments: Question 3. Question : When making inferences, it is important to: Student Answer: Infer things that extend beyond experience and evidence Rationalize inferences that contradict one another Identify assumptions that lead to the inferences All of the above None of the above Instructor Explanation: The answer can be found in “The Analysis and Assessment of Thinking” [Paul and Elder Website] http://www.criticalthinking...
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