Sweatshirts and Sweatshops
Part 1-Intellectual Standards
1. “According to Cromwell’s director of auxiliary services more that 90% of the logo merchandise is produced by Transterra Textiles…”
-This example violates the Universal standards of Relevance and Significance. Why is the director of auxiliary services considered credible when speaking on the production of the school’s merchandise? Why is their opinion relevant? What significance does this fact have in the ultimate goal of changing the factory? To correct the problem the speaker should have gotten information from an administrator who purchases the merchandise from the textile factory, or omitted this entire statement.
2. “There are two things we can do to put an end to this exploitation. We can demand that Cromwell obtain its logo merchandise only from garment companies with socially responsible labor practices, and we can refuse to wear or purchase and Cromwell clothing until the college switches to an acceptable apparel supplier.”
-This example violates the standards of Breadth and Logic. Being that all colleges are obtaining their logos from the same textile company, are the students even sure that another company could manufacture the logos? What other option could the school have? What will the workers do if they lose business and are forced to close? A more logical thing to do if they are going to protest would be to fight for the reform of the factory. This option, rather than shutting down, would keep a lot less workers out of work, the company gets better working conditions, and the school won’t lose money from sales of collegiate merchandise.
Part 2-Fallacies
1. “We can demand that Cromwell obtain its logo merchandise only from garment companies with socially responsible labor practices, and we can refuse to wear or purchase and Cromwell clothing until the college switches to an acceptable apparel supplier.” This statement uses the fallacy of false dilemma. The speaker presents to extremes of what can be done
1. “According to Cromwell’s director of auxiliary services more that 90% of the logo merchandise is produced by Transterra Textiles…”
-This example violates the Universal standards of Relevance and Significance. Why is the director of auxiliary services considered credible when speaking on the production of the school’s merchandise? Why is their opinion relevant? What significance does this fact have in the ultimate goal of changing the factory? To correct the problem the speaker should have gotten information from an administrator who purchases the merchandise from the textile factory, or omitted this entire statement.
2. “There are two things we can do to put an end to this exploitation. We can demand that Cromwell obtain its logo merchandise only from garment companies with socially responsible labor practices, and we can refuse to wear or purchase and Cromwell clothing until the college switches to an acceptable apparel supplier.”
-This example violates the standards of Breadth and Logic. Being that all colleges are obtaining their logos from the same textile company, are the students even sure that another company could manufacture the logos? What other option could the school have? What will the workers do if they lose business and are forced to close? A more logical thing to do if they are going to protest would be to fight for the reform of the factory. This option, rather than shutting down, would keep a lot less workers out of work, the company gets better working conditions, and the school won’t lose money from sales of collegiate merchandise.
Part 2-Fallacies
1. “We can demand that Cromwell obtain its logo merchandise only from garment companies with socially responsible labor practices, and we can refuse to wear or purchase and Cromwell clothing until the college switches to an acceptable apparel supplier.” This statement uses the fallacy of false dilemma. The speaker presents to extremes of what can be done