Archive for 2009-01-29

要反驳的题目：

72.In measuring electrical activity in different parts of the brain, researchers found that people who describe themselves as generally happy have more activity in the left prefrontal lobe of their brains than do other people. Therefore, a medication for stimulating the left prefrontal lobe of the brain would be an effective treatment for clinical depression.

在测量大脑不同部分的电波活动的时候，研究者发现那些把自己描述成快乐的人大脑左前额部分的活动比其他人更多。因此，刺激大脑左前额部分对于抑郁症的临床治疗将会是一种有效的方法。

我的文章：

The argument concludes that a medication for stimulating the left prefrontal lobe of the brain would be an effective treatment for clinical depression. Yet, the argument contains several critical flaws. I will discuss each of these questionable facets in turn.

First of all, the argument is based on the problematic assumption that happy people may have more activity in the left prefrontal lobe. However, the evidence that the arguer provides is insufficient to support the conclusion drawn from it. It has the possibility that those who describe themselves as generally happy may not be happy at all. Perhaps there are other reasons that lead to activity in the left prefrontal lobe. As the author did not provide more evidence, such as one person who feels happy has more activity in the left prefrontal lobe of the brain than the one when they are not happy. Laughing people have more activity in the left prefrontal lobe, etc.. Lacking evidence makes this a fallacious assumption.

In addition, even if I were to concede that people who feel happy have more activity in the left prefrontal lobe of their brains than people who are not. There is no evidence that indicates stimulating the left prefrontal lobe may make people feel happy or may make the left prefrontal lobe more active than before. Without ruling out all other possible conditions, the argument cannot convince me.

Finally, even if I were to concede that stimulating one’s left prefrontal lobe may surely make the left prefrontal lobe more active than before; the argument contains no evidence that it can cure clinical depression. In fact, this argument does not provide any solid information about what causes depression at all.

In summary, the conclusion reached in this argument is invalid and misleading. To make the argument more convincing, the arguer would have to provide more data about the research. Moreover, I would suspend my judgment about the credibility of the recommendation until the arguer can provide concrete evidence that a medication for stimulating the left prefrontal lobe of the brain may make people have more activity in the left prefrontal lobe of their brains and it can cure clinical depression.