Exercise: Analyzing an essay

Find a published argument on an op-ed page in a newspaper, in a magazine, or on a website. Carry out an analysis of the argument, beginning with identifying the audience and the author’s purpose, and moving to identifying the claim, reason(s), assumption(s), evidence, and qualifiers (if any). As you work, be sure also to identify the emotional, ethical, and logical appeals as well as any fallacies put forward by the author.

Respond in the text box below and also give source information for the article you chose. When you are finished, click Submit to record your answer. If your instructor has assigned this exercise, your answer will be submitted to the gradebook.

Read the following brief essay by Derek Bok, which argues that college administrators should seek to educate and persuade rather than censor...