"Useless Creatures"

Question

by Richard Conniff

But usefulness is precisely the argument other people put forward to justify destroying or displacing wildlife, and they generally bring a larger and more persuasive kind of green to the argument. Nothing you can say about 100 acres in the New Jersey Meadowlands will ever add up for a politician who thinks a new shopping mall will mean more jobs for local voters (and contributions to his campaign war chest). Nothing you can say about the value of rhinos for ecotourism in South Africa will ever matter to a wildlife trafficker who can sell their horns for $30,000 a pound in Vietnam.

Reprinted by permission of author Richard Conniff

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

What type of argument does the author use in this speech?

(1 point)
Responses choose the correct answer carefully and tell me why is that suppose to be correct

logos
logos

syntax
syntax

ad hominem
ad hominem

pathos
pathos
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Answer 1

The correct answer is logos.

Reasoning: In the passage, the author argues logically about the disconnect between the perceived benefits of commercial development (like shopping malls) and the value of wildlife and ecosystems. By presenting examples such as the New Jersey Meadowlands and the rhinos in South Africa, he highlights the rational yet misguided priorities of politicians and wildlife traffickers who prioritize immediate economic gains over ecological preservation. This appeal to reason and logic—showing how decisions based on short-term economic benefits overlook the bigger picture of ecological value—strongly aligns with the use of logos.

Pathos would involve an emotional appeal, while ad hominem would attack a person's character rather than addressing the argument itself. Syntax refers to sentence structure and does not pertain to the type of argument used. Thus, logos is the best fit for this passage.