Reasoning from hypotheses reminds me of when I hear people talking about actors and fame. I've heard individuals say (also known for word of mouth) that when you become an actor/actress you lose your privacy as a "normal", average person and you end up losing yourself and forgetting the life you once used to have.
According to Chapter 6 in Epstein's text, reasoning from hypotheses is, "if you start with an assumption or hypothesis A that you don't know to be true and make a good statement for B, then what you have established is If A, then B" (134).
So if Vanessa tells her mom she wants to be an actress and her mom replies "Vanessa if you choose that lifestyle, you will no longer be the same you because you will get caught up in the "Hollywood" scene." Then when Vanessa states, "Mom, I will change of course, but I'll still be the same Vanessa just different." Her mom adds to that by stating, "But Vanessa, your not getting that when you become an actress, that means sacrifice of your schedule, of things and people that matter to you, your own perception will change because of your surroundings. What if some Hollywood starlet befriends you, you will definitely not be the same Vanessa I know unless you have your shoulder on right."
Vanessa's mom has not shown or proven Vanessa will not be the same girl if she becomes an actress, rather like our text says, she is showing the "assumption(hypothesis)" that Vanessa becoming an actress means she will get caught up in the "Hollywood scene" and in the moment.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
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I like your example for the assumption or hypothesis. You hear people assuming things all the time, especially when it comes to particular field of work or interests that has a steriotype attached to it. For example way back in high school my friend started getting into reggae and 90's punk rock and even wore clothing that was kind of along those trends. Well people like started talking bad about him, like if he was doing drugs like smoking weed. So yeah hypothesis can be kind of annoying when they are used to generalize a certain group and attribute everything about that group to that person.
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