The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

Analysis & Response 97 of declining investment, but also asserts that America cannot afford to not invest more resources in education; there is a greater price to be paid for its failure to do so. Supporting this claim is an earlier citation by Ross of a quote from New York Times columnist Frank Bruni: “It’s impossible to put a dollar value on a nimble, adaptable intellect…” (3). As Ross has already established this quality as one of the products of higher education, he invites the audience to refer back to this link and transfer the stated value to higher education itself. In Ross’s logos, we find one of the greatest weaknesses of his argument, namely the fact that his logical support structure is largely internalized. With a few minor exceptions, Ross relies on the strength of his own reason. Also, he draws data almost exclusively from his own UNC System to convince the audience of his claim, neglecting to provide outside support for his argument. This is most likely due to his attempts to portray himself as an ultimate authority on the subject, but will leave many of the critical thinkers he discusses wondering about how much stock they can put in an argument that contains little reference for further research, seems to summarily dismiss the opposition without bothering to deal with it specifically, and fails to provide any information about where its data came from. For instance, Ross generally fails to support his core premise that higher education cultivates critical thought, instead asking the audience to simply take his word for it by stating “universities have long been known… as places of ideas and debate…” (2). This statement begs the question of, “who has known this?” By excluding outside references, he calls the credibility of the data behind his argument into question and risks losing the ears of the more analytical members of the audience. At the extreme, this issue could actually engender a negative response, raising the question of why the author seems to think he is the only authority worth hearing on the subject. Despite a general lack of outside support, Tom Ross creates a convincing picture of his vision of the benefits of increased educational investment and attainment through a blend of carefully crafted appeals to the values of contemporary America, impressive statistics, and first-hand data and examples effectively designed to recruit the average American to his position. His careful control over the mood of the audience helps him communicate his point as effectively as possible. As a result, Ross makes a compelling call to restore the educational values he argues that America is losing.