GRE mock essay

gistfile1.txt

The best test of an argument is the argument’s ability to convince someone with
an opposing viewpoint.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with
the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and
supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or
might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

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Personally I agree that there are certain arguments which can be
evaluated according to their ability to convince the opposing
party. However, I strongly doubt that this statement holds true for
any kind of argument. Below are the reasons to support my position.

To start with, consider the well-known argument between children and
their parents about the proper time to go to bed. It is extremely
common for the kids to be willing to stay awake for a couple more
hours while their parents usually firmly insist that they should start
preparing for sleep immediately. There are various reasons for parents
to do so but their main argument is usually the long-term physical and
mental wellness. As kids grow older and become adults themselves, they
usually change their views and start advocating for proper
regime. Hence the initial argument is strong enough to convinve the
opposing party.

However, the fact that at some point an cogent argument inevitably
convinces the opposing party is not always the case. Consider a
well-known procedure for airline pilots. In case of an engine fire,
their job is to visually check that the fire is indeed taking place
and then shut down the corresponding engine if necessary. Suppose that
the pilots fail to visually confirm the fire which means that the
alarm might simply have failed. Since flying with one less engine is a
risk by itself, the pilots' opinions on the proper course of action
might divert at this point. Moreover, any argument the pilots have
will be probabilistic in nature because they are not completely sure
the fire is actually happening. Such a moment is the precise reason
why there is a chain of command to make decisions and it proves that
sometimes arguments are not good enough to convince everybody.

To sum up, there are various kinds of arguments. Some of them are
capable of convincing the opposing party but some of them are not.
Therefore, I believe that it cannot be called the best test but merely
one of the possibly applicable tests of an argument.