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Coffee has been a topic that has provokes intense argument among medial men and scientists that have investigated its harmful as well as positive effects on human organism (Derbry 166, Ries, Miller, Fiellin, and Saitz 166). The essay under argumentative analysis is entitled as “The Whole Scoop on Coffee” and it is devoted to the same issue, the analysis of the positive and negative effects of coffee on human organism. However, the main focus of the present paper is neither benefit not harm done by coffee to a human being that is in the habit of consuming it, but the way the argument in the analyzed paper is put forward and proved with the help of certain evidence. Though the article lacks a carefully formulated argument (that is its primary weak point), the article as a piece of argumentative writing can be characterized by a certain number of strong points which will be analyzed in this paper and a number of weak points that are prevailing in the analyzed article. As it is necessary to define if the argument is effective or not, it can be presumed that it is somewhere in between, though inclining to ineffective.
The present analysis of the essay will be built according to the structure of the essay so that the development of the argument could be analyzed step-by-step. Since the author of the articles intends to create a scientifically proven argument, it is necessary to analyze authority of the argument and the use of statistics in the essay.
In the introductory paragraph of the essay under analysis, the author formulates a problem which seems to be too vague and lacks concrete support. The opening statement that says that “the estimated 100 million of us sip” is not proven by any reference (John Hopkins Medical Letter 200). What is more, the author mentions “our morning paper” as the main the source of the argument (John Hopkins Medical Letter 200) and he/she does not give any title of a newspaper though such recognized publication as New York Times can be considered a reliable source to refer to. Further, the author offers a premise saying that there can be awful withdrawal headaches connected with the implementation of the decision to stop consuming coffee. The author gives a proof of the general idea, mentioning the researchers at John Hopkins and their “recent” research that has proven the withdrawal symptoms. Thus, this is the case of deduction where the first statement is general and the succeeding one offers specific information on the point. However, this successful case of deduction is followed by invalid syllogism stating that coffee is a cure for headaches that is prescribed for migraines (John Hopkins Medical Letter 200). First, the author does not give any reference for this idea, second, even a brief research shows that the premise is invalid, as caffeine triggers migraines if either too much or too little is consumed, thus it cannot be positioned as a sure for headaches (Magee 53). Also, the introductory paragraph suggests an idea of the subsequent analysis of various products (tea, cola, etc.) though the essay is focused entirely on coffee.
The subsection on coffee and heart disease is opened with a reference to the Harvard study that can be characterized from the point of view of statistics and authority of the argument. Harvard study is, definitely, an authoritative source to refer to, the sample is mentioned, thus, it is known, sufficient (45000), and reliable. Also, first three sentences of the second paragraph of the subsection “Coffee and Heart Disease” present a case of induction. The syllogism of the premises can be considered valid since the source of the specific statement is reliable (American Journal of Public Health). As for the study conducted in the Netherlands that is mentioned in the essay, it does not contain proper referencing (which the essay lacks on the whole). Also, the idea conveyed by this statement is that there is the connection between coffee and the level of cholesterol and this study is recent, though the previous statement contains the opposite idea, that such research is poor.
The last paragraph in this subsection contain a fallacy, it ignores the question posed at the beginning of the paragraph, “What if you already have heart disease?” The whole paragraph is devote to “another recent study” (which is not identified, by the way) of the patients with angina who drink coffee. Thus, the initial question is ignored and only the last two sentences tackle the problem of heart disease though the source used is, in fact, irrelevant as it is based on animal studies, not human studies.
The subsection on the connection of coffee and cancer seems to be weak from the point of view of the evidence for the argument. Such phrases as “various studies”, “recent analysis of 24 studies” (John Hopkins Medical Letter 201) are too vague and no logical connection between the ideas can be observed in case of the statement about 24 studies on coffee and “similarly inconclusive results …on other cancers” (John Hopkins Medical Letter 201).Twenty four studies can be considered a sufficient ground for a conclusion, thus the idea about inconclusive results is senseless, it is a fallacy.
However, the subsection on the connection of coffee and osteoporosis starts with a case of deduction that relies on the Framingham study with convincing results (John Hopkins Medical Letter 201). At the same time, no conclusion is given, though the two premises can be considered valid. Finally, the conclusion of the essay is too weak as it states that “the worst thing” that can be said about coffee is that is keeps a person awake (John Hopkins Medical Letter 202). Thus, the conclusion seems to ignore the abovementioned information on coffee and cholesterol, ulcers, and osteoporosis. The conclusion contains the fallacy called “Non Sequintur” (Gocsik unpaged) as it does not present a logical flow of ideas based on the premises.
Drawing a conclusion, it can be stated that the author of the analyzed article has used certain argumentative strategies, such as induction, deduction, statistics, expert testimony. However, the weak points of the argument are prevailing: the author uses false premises, there are fallacies, such as ignored question, irrelevant references, too poor referencing. The conclusion of the argumentative essay does not reflect the logical flow of ideas that is one of the worst weak points of the essay.
Works Cited
Debry, Gerald. Coffee and Health. London: John Libbey Eurotext, 1994.
Gocsik, Karen. “Logic and Argument”. Dartmouth Writing Program, Dartmouth College Online Writing Materials. 2008. Web.
John Hopkins Medical Letter. “Health after Fifty”. The Language of Argument. Buton, Larry W., and Daniel Lamont McDonald. NY: Pearson Longman, 2004.
Magee, Elaine. Tell Me What to Eat if I Have Headaches and Migraines. NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2008.
Ries, Richard K., Miller, Shannon, Fiellin, David A., and Richard Saitz. Principles’ of Addiction Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009.
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