The Little Blue Reasoning Book - Brandon Royal [75]
3. Pirates
B. Breadth vs. Depth trade-off
According to this problem, music fans would be better served by a wider, costlier selection of music CDs than by a narrower, cheaper selection. This argument is grounded on the assumption that greater variety (“breadth”) is better than less variety (“depth”).
4. Techies
G. Specific vs. General trade-off
According to this argument, the reason people achieve top-level management jobs is that they develop analytically rigorous mindsets which come from their broader liberal arts-based education. All we have to do to weaken this argument is to suggest that vocationally trained individuals also develop analytically rigorous mindsets. For example, intensive training in a limited field such as computer programming may develop analytical skills as much as a broader liberal arts education does.
5. Workers
I. Theory vs. Practice trade-off
Working in an industry gives one practical experience. Studying an industry gives one a conceptual understanding of how that industry works. Working in an industry, however, does not guarantee that one understands the nuances of how that industry operates, especially at the macro level. Likewise, studying an industry does guarantee that one can grasp the nuances of how workers actually get things done in that industry. In this scenario, it is unclear whether those who work as union executives — college trained lawyers, economists, and labor relations officers — are incapable of grasping the inner workings of their industry (unionized labor). It is also unclear whether those who might come up through the ranks of the labor unions to become executives would be in a better position to manage and deal with the macro issues in which that industry operates.
6. Sales
D. Means vs. Ends trade-off
This problem pivots primarily on a “means vs. ends” trade-off and, in particular, on differing means. That is, the prospect of hiring more salespeople or conducting a market survey is based on differing means, while the decision to increase sales is based on an identical goal (end result).
7. Safe Haven
A. Control vs. Chance trade-off
The issue pivots on the difference between random violence and the violence that can be avoided by taking reasonable precautions. The conclusion that parents should not consider moving to the suburbs is weakened by the idea that parents exercise some control over their children’s behavior in the suburb scenario. A parent has a lot less of a chance to prevent teenage death due to a drive-by shooting than a death due to suicide or driving while intoxicated. This highlights a control vs. chance trade-off.
8. Free Speech
C. Individual vs. Collective trade-off
The argument basically says that free speech should know no limits. However, when free speech is deemed injurious to the collective rights of the “group,” it is not allowed. In this respect, individual and collective rights trade-off with one another. We have free speech but in certain situations the rights of the group take precedence.
9. Historians
H. Subjective vs. Objective trade-off
Per the topic at hand, the historian’s success in being scientifically objective is at best illusory because, here, objectivity is linked to detachment and is deemed incompatible with passion. Thus we have a subjective vs. objective trade-off.
10. My Land
J. Tradition vs. Change trade-off
This problem gives rise to a rather interesting example, tying the tradition vs. change trade-off to argument by analogy.
In this tradition vs. change trade-off, Nordwell was