Women In Combat

Spend one hour providing a rough draft or sketch of an evaluation of the following argument.

Argument:

Look, it certainly is clear to me, and even a fool can plainly see that women should not be allowed to go into combat. First, most women are physically weaker than most men. Hence, physically superior male forces will easily overcome them. Also, since great many women are partly incapacitated by premenstrual symptoms, there will be frequent times when they will not be able to function effectively under combat conditions. Finally, most soldiers will do foolish and reckless things to protect women in combat since they are of the characteristic military mentality that honors and protects women in danger. Now, if you put these three factors together, then you can only come to the same conclusion I have.

Look, it certainly is clear to me, and even a fool can plainly see that 1[women should not be allowed to go into combat.] First, 2[most women are physically weaker than most men.] Hence, 3[physically superior male forces will easily overcome them.] Also, since 4[great many women are partly incapacitated by premenstrual symptoms,] 5[there will be frequent times when they will not be able to function effectively under combat conditions.] Finally, 6[most soldiers will do foolish and reckless things to protect women in combat] since 7[they are of the characteristic military mentality that honors and protects women in danger.] Now, 8[if you put these three factors together, then you can only come to the same conclusion I have.]

Index of Claims:

Women should not be allowed to go into combat.
Most women are physically weaker than most men.
Physically superior male forces will easily overcome them.
Great many women are partly incapacitated by premenstrual symptoms.
There will be frequent times when they will not be able to function effectively under combat conditions.
Most soldiers will do foolish and reckless things to protect women in combat.
Most soldiers are of the characteristic military mentality that honors and protects women in danger.
When combined, the three factors in this argument are sufficient to derive the conclusion.
A. If most women are physically weaker than most men, then physically superior male forces will easily overcome them.

B. Women who are partly incapacitated by premenstrual symptoms frequently will not be able to function effectively under combat conditions.

C. Soldiers who are of the characteristic military mentality that honors and protects women in danger will do foolish and reckless things to protect women in battle(combat).

Tree Diagram:

2 + A 4 + B 7 + C

| i | ii | iii

3 + 5 + 6 + 8

| iv

1