- Ambiguity refers to the existence of multiple possible meanings for a word or phrase.
- Because you may interpret the word or phrase wrong and base your opinion on it for, or against the argument.
- Because they often only offer synonyms or examples of the word or phrase. They don’t convey specific criteria to help understand the argument as a whole.
- By asking the critical question, “Do I understand its meaning,” and seeing if you can replace the term with two or more alternate meanings and seeing if its changes your position in the argument or if it changes the outcome of the paper you are reading.
- They are a lot like descriptive and prescriptive issues in that descriptive assumptions rely on what the world was, is, or will be and prescriptive assumptions or value assumptions are based on values of how the communicator thinks the world should be.
- I believe they are because how can you fight for something without first believing this is how the world should think or this is how the world should be? You can’t argue for something without having the values to back it up. For example, if I were to fight for the rights of animals I would assume that the people that I am talking to wouldn’t think that it is right to hurt an animal for no reason. Having values matters to whatever you are arguing and without them you cannot argue anything.
- I don’t believe they do it, or should do it, because positions we take and positions we are against are common knowledge. If we take the time to hear a speaker or to read an article, we are operating under the assumption that what we hear or read will be understood and if it not and we think the material is worth is than we will find out understanding by digging into the article or speech more thoroughly. No need to exert intentions if they are already there to find. Don’t be lazy.
- Independence-Obedience
Reading Reflection #5: Ambiguity and Assumptions
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