Jason Marsh, editor in chief at Greater Good Science Center recently created a hypothesis that
indicates that adults follow the rules to a strict interpretation of rules
rather than kids, even when their other option deals with ethics. Marsh not
only references historical experiments done by deceased scientists that proves
his hypothesis, but also current events that have been all over the news to
strengthen his idea. While his purpose is to convince the audience that his
hypothesis makes an argument and is true, Marsh builds up his argument from a
smaller idea to a bigger picture as his text continues.
With the use of current examples such as a man left for dead
by local fireman or a boy denied a school lunch because his account was in the
red, both examples connecting to the emotional appeal of the audience that we
follow the rules too much as adults. To contradict these examples with one that
even furthermore supports Marsh’s idea, he uses an example of a boy who went
across his street to save his fallen elderly neighbors, even though the boys
mother told him that he should not go check on her.
By using such powerful examples to illustrate Marsh’s
purpose, the audience gets a better idea of his hypothesis because they not
only can visualize the events as they are read off the page, but the ethical side
to each example clearly depicts that we follow rules to the point where we have
no ethics. Marsh wants us, the audience and the citizens of this country to
realize that we are so used to following rules that we literally will take a
child’s lunch away, or not save a man we know needs help because the fire
department was not actually called for help.
These powerful examples add up throughout the text to a
point where the readers soon judge those bystanders mentioned in the text, then
realize as a people we need to change our interpretation of rules to prioritize
on the well being of others than constantly following guidelines.
This link can be found at
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/01/opinion/marsh-empathy-utah-school-lunches/index.html?hpt=op_t1
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