{"id":"study-philosophy-argument-premises","audience":"college","category":"summarizing","technique":"format","track":"study","title":"Map an author's argument into premises and a conclusion","free":false,"task":"Your Intro to Philosophy seminar wants every reading reduced to its argument. Get the author's argument as numbered premises labeled P1, P2 and so on, then a final line labeled C for her conclusion, under 70 words, plain text. Include only the author's own premises, not the objection she raises and rejects.","materialLabel":"The reading excerpt (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"PHIL 1100 - Week 4 reading\nFerrante, A. \"Do We Owe Strangers Our Spare Time?\" (excerpt, pp. 2-4)\n\nI will argue that most of us are obligated to volunteer some of our free time to help strangers in need. My argument is simple. First, if you can prevent something bad from happening without giving up anything of comparable importance, you ought to do it. Second, a few hours a month of volunteering, such as tutoring or serving meals, prevents real harm to people in need. Third, for most people, a few hours a month does not cost anything of comparable importance; it costs some leisure.\n\nOne might object that free time is ours by right, and that any obligation to give it away violates our freedom. I reject this objection. Having a right to something does not mean we can never be obligated to use it well; I have a right to my voice, yet I ought to use it to warn someone of danger.\n\nNote that my claim is limited. I do not argue that anyone must volunteer every weekend, nor that people working two jobs share this obligation.\n\n---\nProf. Ashby's instructions: \"Standard form. Number the premises. The conclusion goes last. Objections are not premises.\"","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":70},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Asking for a summary","why":"The AI writes a paragraph about the reading, not the step-by-step argument your seminar wants.","fix":"Show the form: \"P1:, P2:, P3:, then C:.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Burying the conclusion","why":"The AI often states the conclusion first, the way the author does, instead of last.","fix":"Add: \"The conclusion goes last, labeled C.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Treating the objection as a premise","why":"The AI includes everything the author discusses, including the view she rejects.","fix":"Add: \"Leave out the objection she rejects.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over.","fix":"Cap each line: \"each line under 15 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Forgetting where it will be read","why":"AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in your seminar notes.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold, no headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Shows the standard form","patterns":["P1","premise","standard form"]},{"label":"Puts the conclusion last","patterns":["conclusion.{0,15}(last|end)","C:"]},{"label":"Leaves out the objection","patterns":["objection","rejects"]},{"label":"Sets a length limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)","under \\d+"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no formatting","no headings"]}],"hint":"Standard form has a specific shape. Show the labels, say the conclusion goes last, and tell the AI to skip the objection the author rejects.","rubricLabels":["Lists the author's premises as lines labeled P1, P2, P3 (the prevent-harm principle, that volunteering prevents harm, and that it costs nothing comparably important), followed by a final line labeled C","The C line states her conclusion: most people are obligated to volunteer some free time to help strangers in need","Does not include the 'free time is ours by right' objection as a premise, and adds no commentary, evaluation or intro"]}