Souls of Black Folk

Description2. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folks, 177A Reader page 25, section beginning “In failing thus to state plainly…” and ending “…disaster to our children black and white.”

To accomplish this assignment, please be sure to carry out the following steps in an essay of about four pages:

• In your own words, recount the main argument(s) presented in the passage you have
selected. That is, re-formulate what you have read into the structure of an argument,
setting forth the pivotal claims (premises) and arranging them as they appropriately
follow from one another and lead to a conclusion. You may find that there are some sub-arguments that comprise each option (about 1 ½ pages).

• Once you have carried out the re-formulation, identify the argument as valid or not valid,
and sound or not sound, and point out why you understand each condition to be so. Be
sure to explain what the correct meanings of these terms are within the context of
philosophical logic, so I know that you understand them (about 2 pages).

• Please be sure to conclude with your insights, and your reasons supporting them,
concerning critical thinking and decision-making, since each text offers a justification for
arriving at a decision. You may use notes from lectures, and critical thinking material from
your class handout. Be sure to cite all sources you use (at least ½ to 1 page).

The sources you may use are the two readings in Freud and DuBois, as indicated above, and to assist you with aspects of critical thinking the following two:

– 177A Critical Thinking Handout, Mesher text, and
– links to Stanford logic materials online, listed as “Sources for the Basics of Deductive
Reasoning and Argumentation”.