高级英语公共课-Love-is-a-Fallacy

1、高级英语公共课-Love-is-a-FallacyTeaching PlanTeaching ObjectivesTo have a basic knowledge of the terms in logicTo understand what love is in an affluent societyTo appreciate the humorous and satirical writing styleTo appreciate the languageTeaching FocusThe rules of logic: to understand all the eight falla

2、cies referred in the text.The particular writing style of the author. The light, humorous, yet impressing way of depicting things. Subjective, personal, sensible.Teaching FocusThe self-boasting tone of “I”. Different adjectives applied to describe “ I” and my “rival” Petey Burch. The positive, neutr

3、al and negative senses of the similar adjectives.Teaching MethodsTeacher-oriented teaching methodStudent-oriented teaching methodThe elicited methodTeaching Procedure. Introductory Remarks. Background Information. Learning Focus. Key words and Expressions. Explanation of the Text. Division of the Te

4、xt. The Writing Style. The Personality of Dobie. ExercisesIntroductory Remarks. Introductory RemarksAbout the title“There is deceptive or delusive quality about love”. “Love can not be deduced from a set of given premises”.About the authorMax Schulmanan Americans best-known humoristsa productive wri

5、ter of many talentsHis works Barefoot boy with CheekThe Feather merchantRally Round the Flag, BoysThe Many Loves of Dobie GillisAbout the textThe text is excerpted from The Many loves of Dobbie Gillis by Max Shulman. It is a piece of narrative writing. The narrator of the story, Dobie Gillis, a self

6、-conceited freshman in a school struggles against Petey Burch, his stupid roommate whose girl friend he plans to steal and Polly Espy, the beautiful dumb girl he intends to marry after suitable reeducation.Detailed Study of the Text. Background InformationExplanation of thelogical FallaciesA logical

7、 argument gives evidence to support some conclusion.two necessary parts: a conclusion the thesis argues forcertain premises or facts on which to base the conclusionThe conclusion is to be inferred from the premises. An argument is deductively valid when its premises provide conclusive evidence for t

8、he conclusion. An argument that fails to be conclusively deduced is invalid and fallacious.An argument may be fallacious in three ways:fallacious in its material content because of the use of a misstatement of the facts; fallacious in its wording because of an incorrect use of term; fallacious in it

9、s form because of the use of an improper process of inference.Fallacies are divided into three groups:a) material-fallacies of presumptionb) verbal-fallacies of ambiguity c) formal-a structural pattern of generically incorrect reasoningThe fallacies mentioned in the text are material fallacies:1. Di

10、cto Simpliciter 绝对判断 （Fallacy of Accident ） An argument based on an unqualified generalization. The argument applies a general rule to a particular case in which some special circumstances makes the rule inapplicable.2. Hasty Generalization （仓促推断） The converse fallacy of accident arises when a speci

11、al case is improperly applied as a general rule. For instance, a certain food is delicious to some people, but the fact does not imply that it is delicious to all people.3. The Fallacy of Irrelevant Conclusion It occurs when the conclusion changes the point that is under consideration in the premise

12、s. Special cases of irrelevant conclusion are produced by the so-called fallacies of irrelevance, which include: 1) Post Hoc ergo propter hoc 牵强附会/假性因果 The fallacy of False Cause The fallacy mislocates the cause of one phenomenon in another that is only seemingly related. 2) Contradictory Premises循环

13、论证 Begging the Question It comes into being when the premises openly or covertly presume the very conclusion to be demonstrated.3）Ad Misericordiam文不对题（appeal to pity) In a law court, a trial lawyer doesnt argue for his clients innocence, but he tries to move the jury to sympathy for him, just as app

14、licant for a job doesnt answer the question raised by the boss. Instead he tries to appeal to the boss sympathy by saying something about the poor situation of his family.4) False Analogy “It doe not follow” arises when there is not even a deceptively plausible appearance of valid reasoning, because

15、 the given premises have virtually nothing to do with the conclusion drawn from them.5） Hypothesis Contrary to Fact The fallacy of many questions consists in asking for or giving a single answer to a question when this answer could either be separate or refused completely.6) Poisoning the Well （井中投毒

16、） Speaking “against the man” rather than to issue, or the fallacy of Poisoning the Well in the text where the premises may only make a personal attack on a person holding some thesis rather than offer grounds showing why what he says is false. . Learning FocusStructure of the Narration1. The protago

17、nist:Dobie Gillis- a self conceited freshman2. The antagonist: Petey Burch- his stupid roommatePolly Espy- the beautiful dumb girl 3. The time: during the period of being students4. The place: on the cus of the university of Minnesota5. The main theme: love is a Fallacy6. The plot: Focus on a Raccoo

18、n Coat . Key words and Expressions1. unfetter: to free from fetters; to free from restraint of any kind; liberate -free and unfettered trade 2. mumble: to speak or say indistinctly and in a low voice, mutter -I wish you wouldnt mumble. -I cant hear you clearly.3. shed: cast off or lose hair -All the

19、 leaves have shed.4. covet: want ardently; long for with envy -Its a sin to covet.5. veer: change direction; shift; turn or swing around -The wind veered round to the west.6. swivel: turn on -He swiveled the camera on the tripod to follow the riders.7. wax: to grow gradually larger; increase in stre

20、ngth, intensity, volume -The moon waxes.8. wince: to shrink or draw back slightly, usually with a grimace, as in pain, embarrassment, etc. -He winced at the insult.9. chirp: speak in lively way 10. blubber: weep loudly, like a child11. fashion: shape; mold -He fashioned the clay into a jar.12. croak

21、: to speak in a low, rough voice as if you have a sore throat -The crow croaked disaster.13. reel: to give way or fall back; sway, waver or stagger as from being struck -He reeled from the sharp blow.14. bellow: cry out loudly, as in anger or pain15. enterprising: full of energy and initiative; will

22、ing to undertake new projects16. flaccid: hanging in loose folds or wrinkles; soft and limp17. pedantic: of or like a pedant18. calculating: shrewd or cunning, esp. in a selfish way 19. astute: having or showing a clever or shrewd mind; cunning; crafty20. unsightly: not slightly, not pleasant to loo

23、k at; ugly21. cerebral: appealing to the intellect rather than the emotions, intellectual22. pin-up: designating a girl whose sexual attractiveness makes her a subject for the kind of pictures often pinned up on walls 23. greasy: smeared with or containing grease24. canny: careful and shrewd in ones

24、 action and dealing; clever and cautious25. glum: feeling or looking gloomy26. fraught: filled, charged or loaded27. yummy: very tasty; delicious28. grueling: extremely tiring; exhausting29. well-heeled: rich, prosperous -a well-heeled dandy. Explanation of the Text1. Charles Lamb Charles Lamb, an E

25、nglish essayist and poet, was born in London in 1775 and died in 1834. His writing was full of gentle humor. His dramatic essay “Specimens of English Dramatic Poets” established his reputation as a critic.2. Thomas Carlylea British historian and essayistThe Revolution ,Chartism:characterized by his

26、trenchant social and political criticism and his complex literary styleCarlyese: a compound of biblical, colloquialisms, and his own coinages, arranged in unexpected sequences.3. Ruskin -an English writer, art critic and social theorist -a great painting to be one that conveys great ideas to the vie

27、wer -the virtual dictator of artistic opinion in England during the mid-19th centuryHis works include: -Modern Painters (1843-1860), -The seven Ls of architecture (1849) -Sesame and Lilies (1856) -The Crown of Wild Olive (1866), -Time and Tide (1867).4. nothing upstairs: (AmE. slang) empty-headed, a

28、 nitwit (BrE. slang) unfurnished in the upper storey5. surrender oneself to sth.: to stop trying to prevent yourself from having a feeling, habit, etc. -She surrendered herself to sleep. -He finally surrendered himself to his craving for drug. 6. in the swim (of things): (informal) involved in thing

29、s that are happening in society or in a particular situation7. tear: make sb. feel very unhappy or worried -His distress tore me apart.8. have at ones figure tips: to be completely familiar with9. bat ones eyes / eyelashes: open and close ones eyes quickly, in a way that is supposed to be attractive

30、 not bat an eyelid: (BE) / not bat an eye (AE):10. knock sb. out: to surprise and impress sb. very much -The movie just knocked me out.11. exasperate: to annoy or irritate sb. very much -Her moods exasperated him. Exasperation: n. He shook his head in exasperation. 12. knit ones brow(s): to move / d

31、raw ones eyebrows together, to show that you are thinking hard, feeling angry13. hammer away (at): keep emphasizing or talking about14. patronize: -Some television programs tend to patronize children.15. have by the throat: attack by seizing and squeezing ones throat16. rat: mouse, rat poison (infor

32、mal) an unpleasant person, esp. one who is not loyal or trick sb. . Division of the TextPart I Paras 1-3 It serves as a brief introduction to, and a comment, on the story.Part II Paras 4-59 It humorously depicts how the promise of exchanging a girlfriend for a raccoon coat is made and fulfilled.Part

33、 III Paras 60-125 It vividly describes the incredibly tough project of making dumb Polly smart, and the seeming success.Part IV Paras 126-154 It ironically represents the seemingly Pygmalion effect, which turns out to be a Frankenstein tragedy and forms the climax of the story.Summary. The Writing S

34、tylea piece of narration of light, humorous satireIts theme: “Love is a Fallacy”“love” is an errora deception and emotion that does not follow the principles of logicsummaryThe purpose of the story to demonstrate that logic is a living, breathing things, full of beauty, passion and trauma, far from

35、being a dry, pedantic subject.The logical link of passage ideas “logic-a living thing” “exchange of a raccoon coat for a pretty but foolish girl” “teaching her to be logical and clever” “a Pygmalion becomes a Frankenstein”Affluence has replaced love, thus there is no question of taking brilliance, t

36、alent, or education into consideration when choosing a boyfriend and a husband. It has reduced the search to a matter of seeking wealth and keeping up with the Joneses. Indeed , this kind of love is a fallacy.The climax: paras. 147-150Polly refuses to go steady with Dobie because she already promise

37、d to go steady with Petey Burch.The end: in a very ironic noteDobie ignores the fact that love is the sincere attachment which arises naturally from both hearts, and he fails to win Polly because he has been too clever for his good.The Features of Writing StyleAmerican colloquialism and slanga large

38、 lexical spectrumthe ultra learned terms the infra clipped vulgar formsfigurative languageinversion for special emphasismany figures of speech simile metaphorhyperbolemetonymyantithesisshort sentenceelliptical sentences dashes topic-centered paragraph. The Personality of Dobiea smug, self-conceited

39、freshman, smugly boasting and singing praises of himself, heaping on himself all the beautiful words of praise: cool, logical , keen, calculating, perspicacious, acute, astute, powerful, precise and penetrating.taking every opportunity to downgrade Petey Burch & Polly Espy:Petey: dumb, nothing upsta

40、irs, unable, impressionable and faddistPolly: she is “a beautiful dumb girl”, who would smarten up under his guidancegiving Polly a course in logic Dobie has got what he deservedHe has been too clever for his own good, so he ends up in lying on the bed that he makes himself.Exercises. ExercisesOral

41、PresentationMake a five-minute presentation in class based on your research.Suggested Topics: 1. Max Shulman 2. Charles LambDiscriminate between these synonyms. 1. keen, calculating, perspicacious, acute, astute 2. intelligent, bright, brilliant, clever, smart1. keen, calculating, perspicacious, acu

42、te, astuteThese words refer to unusual mental agility or perceptiveness. Keen suggests both these attributes, adding to them a vigorous and forceful ability to grapple with complex or obscure problems.a keen mind for fine distinctionsSometimes by analogy with good vision, the word may suggest an abi

43、lity to observe details and see them as part of a larger pattern.a keen understanding of the problems facing the conservation movementAcute suggests a finely honed sensitivity or receptivity to nuances that might escape others; it might also imply a high-keyed state of nervous attention that is not sustainable for long.an acute awareness of the slightest ambiguity in each statement made by his opponentan acute alertness, heightened by the strange silence in the enemy trenchesAstute suggests a thorough and profound understanding, stemming from a scholarly or experienced