The Mismeasure of Man

Stephen Jay Gould believes that Samuel Morton’s work was not a case of conscious fraud for a few reasons. Morton had published his work on the largest collection of skulls in the world so openly for everyone to see. Morton had accurately measured the capacity of skulls, and although his work is not considered a case of conscious fraud, it could be considered bias and somewhat prejudice. Conscious fraud tells people little about the nature of scientific activity, and Morton offered very objective data based on his measurements.

The Race Question in the United States

Rhetorical Triangle

1. The writer is John Tyler Morgan, son of a preacher. He was a former CSA officer and senator of Alabama. Morgain aimed to reclaim the South.
2. The issue is racism and segregation in the United States. For instance, voting rights for the blacks in the United States, particularly the South.
3. The gap could be considered how the issue is taken from a bias perspective, so the reading is missing opposing views. The views and ideas of members of the black race were not taken into account.
4. The intended readers would be those that share the same point of views and morals as John Tyler Morgan. His audience could also be targeted at other politicians and those that would be voting on his policies.

Toulmin Method

Claim – Members of the black race are inferior and shall not be seen as citizens. That blacks are less intelligent than whites that they should not participate in American government.

Reasons – The author provides that this thesis statement is true or at least valid based on the fact that members of the black race are prohibited to vote.

Evidence – Giving the blacks the right to vote would cause extreme danger to the white race. Giving them the right to vote would allow them to humiliate the white race. Also, the whites and blacks both understand the impossibility of raising the negro race to the social level of the white race.

Warrant – It seems as if the audience are those that share the same point of view as Morgan, which would mean most of the readers would agree that it is more beneficial to them if blacks were not given rights to vote.

Counterargument – There were those believed the solution would be to raise the negro race to the same social level as the white race.

Rebuttal – Morgan states that this would never be possible due to giving the blacks the right to vote and an opportunity at self government would be threatening to the white race.

Rhetorical Appeal – Morgan uses pathos, in a sense that he gives off the emotion of fear of the black race gaining some form of power to have the ability to violate the white race.