Stasis Theory: Asking the Right Questions

Rhetorical Activities 1:

The activity is to choose a topic and frame the topic with the theoretical and practical questions that are raised.

Issue chosen: drinking age

In the United States the drinking age is set at 21 years old but how useful is the drinking age? Would it be better to follow in the footsteps of other counties and lower the drinking age or eliminate it completely?

Theoretical questions: What is the reason for a drinking age? What was its original purpose? Why set at age 21?

Practical questions:  Whose interests are served by having a drinking age? How strongly is the drinking age enforced and followed? Would drinking be less appealing if there wasn’t an age requirement?

General Questions: Does underage drinking occur? (conjecture)

Is the drinking age law an issues of values or morals? (definition)

Is the drinking age law practical and useful? How does it affect society? (quality)

Should the drinking age be lowered or eliminated (policy)

Specific Questions: Does underage drinking occur in the United States? (conjecture)

Is underage drinking an issue in the United States? (definition)

Is alcohol to available? (quality)

Should the drinking age be more enforced? (policy)

Conjecture: Need to consider the possible answers and through a series of questions and research determine what the best solution is. What is the cause/reason for a drinking age? Can the drinking age law be changed? And what are the possible outcomes?

Definition: The morals and values need to be addressed. This is difficult because of the size of the United States and the variety of people that live her. Is it unethical to have people under the age 21 drink? Should the drinking age be an issue of state law? What is the majority of people’s opinions of the drinking age?

Quality: When it comes to questions of quality the values of society also need to be addressed. Is the drinking age a good thing? Is it affective? Does the drinking age affect the amount of people who suffer from alcoholism in the United States? And if so how would the number change if the drinking age was lowered or eliminated?

Policy: To understand the issue at large, the reason for a drinking age in the United States needs to be clearly explained. Both sides of the issue need to be defined. The benefits and faults of both sides need to be argued. Should the drinking age stay at 21? Should drinking be illegal? Should the drinking age requirement be raised? What reason is it okay for a person to drink after the age 21 and not before?

Based on the activity I just completed it can be seen that questions are necessary to get answers. Without the right questions how can we find the right answers? As Plato thought, it is the philosopher’s task to help others clear away the worldly debris that obscures the truths by asking questions.