2.1. Are you a flat earther?

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![]() Image in Wikimedia Commons under CC license |
Modern flat Earth societies are organizations that promote the belief that the Earth is flat while disputing the Earth's sphericity. Such groups date from the middle of the 20th century; some adherents are serious and some are not. Those who are serious are often motivated by religion, pseudoscience or conspiracy theories.
Through the use of social media, flat Earth theories have been increasingly espoused by individuals unaffiliated with larger groups.
Members of the Flat Earth Society claim to believe the Earth is flat. Walking around on the planet's surface, it looks and feels flat, so they deem all evidence to the contrary, such as satellite photos of Earth as a sphere, to be fabrications of a "round Earth conspiracy" orchestrated by NASA and other government agencies.
The belief that the Earth is flat has been described as the ultimate conspiracy theory. According to the Flat Earth Society's leadership, its ranks have grown by 200 people (mostly Americans and Britons) per year since 2009.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_flat_Earth_societies
Watch the following interview with some flat earthers. Do you think they have strong arguments to support their views?
Video by National Geographic on YouTube
Responding to counterarguments in writing
Almost anything you can argue or claim in a persuasive paper can be refuted – and that is a good thing when you are writing an argument. Opposing points of view exist in every good debate, and it's important to anticipate possible objections to your arguments and to discuss them in your paper.
You do not need to attempt to do all of these things as a way to respond; instead, choose the response strategy that makes the most sense to you, for the counterargument that you have.
- If you agree with some of the counterargument perspectives, you can concede some of their points: "I do agree that ....", "Some of the points made by ____ are valid.....". You could then challenge the importance/usefulness of those points: "However, this information does not apply to our topic because...".
- If the counterargument perspective is one that contains different evidence than you have in your own argument, you can explain why a reader should not accept the evidence that the counter arguer presents.
- If the counterargument perspective is one that contains a different interpretation of evidence than you have in your own argument, you can explain why a reader should not accept the interpretation of the evidence that your opponent (counter arguer) presents.
- If the counterargument is an acknowledgement of evidence that threatens to weaken your argument, you must explain why and how that evidence does not, in fact invalidate your claim.
It is important to use transitional phrases in your paper to alert readers when you're about to present a counterargument. It's usually best to put this phrase at the beginning of a paragraph such as:
- Researchers have challenged these claims with...
- Critics argue that this view...
- Some readers may point to...
- A perspective that challenges the idea that . . .
- Transitional phrases will again be useful to highlight your shift from counterargument to response:
- Indeed, some of those points are valid. However, . . .
- While I agree that . . . , it is more important to consider . . .
- These are all compelling points. Still, other information suggests that . .
- While I understand . . . , I cannot accept the evidence because . . .
Taking into account the opinion of the flat earthers in the video above, as well as the content of this online newspaper article, write an opinion article expressing your views on whether we should believe the Earth is round or not. Use some of the counterarguments in the previous section. Write approximately 300 words.