The Value in Critical Thinking

1. The issue can be established in first paragraph. In the first sentence the author states a hypothetical question in which he/she is trying to provoke a response from the reader. The author assumes that every mother would choose the best physical and mental health for their baby, therefore setting the reader up for an agreeable stance on the issue of the author’s reasoning. The issue is ‘Should mothers breastfeed their babies instead of substituting a store-bought baby formula?’ After the author states the issue, all of the following statements try to persuade the readers that mothers should breastfeed their babies in order to ensure the best physical and mental health for the baby. Therefore we can assume that the author raises a prescriptive issue in which he/she is trying to raise questions on what should be done. From reading the rest of the passage following the first two lines, the reader is able to determine the author’s conclusion to the prescriptive issue. Th...