DOCSLIB.ORG

Accounting Ethics.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Accounting Ethics.Pdf Accounting Ethics Accounting Ethics, Second Edition. Ronald Duska, Brenda Shay Duska, and Julie Ragatz © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-405-19613-0 Foundations of Business Ethics Series editors: W. Michael Hoffman and Robert E. Frederick Written by an assembly of the most distinguished fi gures in business ethics, the Foundations of Business Ethics series aims to explain and assess the fundamental issues that motivate interest in each of the main subjects of contemporary research. In addition to a general introduction to business ethics, individual volumes cover key ethical issues in management, marketing, fi nance, accounting, and computing. The books, which are complementary yet complete in themselves, allow instructors maximum fl exibility in the design and presentation of course materials without sacrifi cing either depth of coverage or the discipline - based focus of many business courses. The volumes can be used separately or in combination with anthologies and case studies, depending on the needs and interests of the instructors and students. 1 John R. Boatright, Ethics in Finance , second edition 2 Ronald Duska, Brenda Shay Duska, and Julie Ragatz, Accounting Ethics , second edition 3 Richard T. De George, The Ethics of Information Technology and Business 4 Patricia H. Werhane and Tara J. Radin with Norman E. Bowie, Employment and Employee Rights 5 Norman E. Bowie with Patricia H. Werhane, Management Ethics 6 Lisa H. Newton, Business Ethics and the Natural Environment 7 Kenneth E. Goodpaster, Conscience and Corporate Culture 8 George G. Brenkert, Marketing Ethics Forthcoming Denis Arnold, Ethics of Global Business Accounting Ethics SECOND EDITION Ronald Duska The Center for Ethics in Financial Services The American College Brenda Shay Duska Del Pizzo & Associates Julie Ragatz The Center for Ethics in Financial Services The American College A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication This edition fi rst published 2011 © 2011 Ronald Duska, Brenda Shay Duska, and Julie Ragatz Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s publishing program has been merged with Wiley’s global Scientifi c, Technical, and Medical business to form Wiley-Blackwell. Registered Offi ce John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom Editorial Offi ces 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK For details of our global editorial offi ces, for customer services, and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www. wiley.com/wiley-blackwell. The right of Ronald Duska, Brenda Shay Duska, and Julie Ragatz to be identifi ed as the authors of this has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Duska, Ronald F., 1937- Accounting ethics / Ronald Duska, Brenda Shay Duska, Julie Ragatz. – 2nd ed. p. cm. – (Foundations of business ethics) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4051-9613-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Accountants–Professional ethics. 2. Accounting–Moral and ethical aspects. I. Duska, Brenda Shay. II. Ragatz, Julie. III. Title. HF5625.15.D87 2011 174'.9657–dc22 2010042189 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This book is published in the following electronic formats: ePDFs 9781444395884; Wiley Online Library 9781444395907; ePub 9781444395891 Set in 10.5/12.5 pt Minion by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited 1 2011 To : Elizabeth Catherine Duska and Catherine Shay A daughter and mother who put up with tax seasons and manuscript deadlines, and whose Irish eyes and smiles bring joy and love to our lives without ever holding us to account for the cost to them of our writing this book. Table of Contents Acknowledgments x Preface xii Introduction 1 1 The Nature of Accounting and the Chief Ethical Diffi culty: True Disclosure 9 I The Nature of Accounting 10 II Ethics of Disclosure 14 III The Financial Statement 17 IV Roles an Accountant can Fulfi ll 20 V Development of Explicit Accounting Standards and Regulations 22 VI The Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) 27 VII Recent Scandals that Provoked More Regulation 29 VIII Conclusions 30 2 Ethical Behavior in Accounting: What Is Ethics? 31 I What Is Ethics? 34 II Ethics: The Intellectual Enterprise 35 III Actions 35 IV Social Practices, Institutions, and Systems 36 V Why Study Ethics? 36 VI Being Ethical: How to Determine What to Do 38 VII Questions to Ask to Justify An Action: The Basis of Ethical Theory 42 VIII Using the Reasons 46 IX Ethical Dilemmas 47 X Some Classic Moral Dilemmas 48 viii Table of Contents 3 Ethical Behavior in Accounting: Ethical Theory 51 I Egoism 52 II Utilitarianism 57 III Kant and Deontology 61 IV Deontological Ethics 62 V The First Formula of the Categorical Imperative 64 VI The Second Formula of the Categorical Imperative 65 VII Virtue Ethics 66 4 Accounting as a Profession: Characteristics of a Profession 69 5 Accounting Codes of Conduct 77 I AICPA Professional Code of Conduct 79 II Code Principles 80 III Criticisms of the Code of Conduct 92 6 The Rules of the Code of Conduct 93 I Section 100 – Independence, Integrity, and Objectivity 94 II Section 200 – General Standards Accounting Principles 99 III Section 300 – Responsibilities to Clients 102 IV Section 400 – Responsibilities to Colleagues 103 V Section 500 – Other Responsibilities and Practices 103 7 The Auditing Function 109 I The Ethics of Public Accounting 113 II Trust 115 III The Auditor’s Responsibility to the Public 116 IV The Auditor’s Basic Responsibilities 118 V Independence 122 VI Independence Risk 127 VII Professional Skepticism 131 VIII Reasonable Assurance 133 8 The Ethics of Managerial Accounting 135 I Reasons Used to Justify Unethical Behaviors 140 II Blowing the Whistle 144 9 The Ethics of Tax Accounting 151 10 Ethics Applied to the Accounting Firm 167 I Accounting as a Business 169 II The Social Responsibility of Business 170 Table of Contents ix III Good Ethics is Good Business 175 IV Ethical Responsibilities of Accounting Firms 177 V The Accounting Profession in Crisis 177 Afterword: Current Debates on Accounting Issues 185 I Fair Value and Principles vs. Rules 185 II Fair Value Accounting 189 III Arguments For and Against the Fair Value Approach 193 IV Summary 198 V Principles vs. Rules 199 VI Introduction 199 VII Isn’t GAAP Already Principles Based? 200 VIII An Example: The Continental Vending Case 204 IX Recent Developments of “Present Fairly” 206 X A Better Question 207 XI Argument for a Rules Based Approach 208 XII What Would a Principles Based Approach Look Like? The True and Fair Override 211 XIII Argument for a Principles Based Approach 212 XIV Conclusion 215 Appendix A: Summary of Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 217 Appendix B: The IMA Code of Conduct for Management Accountants 230 Index 233 Acknowledgments First Edition When Mike Hoffman and Bob Frederick fi rst suggested a book on account- ing ethics the names of all the people more qualifi ed came to mind. However, what better challenge for a business ethicist than to tackle the fi eld his wife dealt with in her day to day work, and who better to work with than an accountant with integrity who has no time for cutting corners. Against the advice of those who counseled against spouses writing a book together, we plunged in where angels fear to tread. It has been a fruitful opportunity, both of us learning more and more about the other ’ s enterprises. So we are grate- ful to both Mike and Bob for the opportunity, and trust the endeavor has worthwhile fruit. We would also like to thank Beth Remmes for her constant attention, not to mention gentle prodding, which helped us get on with the work when the tedium got the better of us. Thanks also to Patricia Werhane, Norm Bowie and Jim Mitchell for their input and encouragement. They should not in any way be held accountable for the shortcomings of this book. Gratitude is also called for toward the American College, Sam Weese its president, and Gary Stone and Walt Woerheide, who allowed us to use some of my time in the completion of this work. Finally we are grateful to Jack Del Pizzo of Del Pizzo & Associates for his insights, encouragement and general knowledge of accounting prac- tices, which he was happy to share during the making of this book. Second Edition First and foremost we want to express special gratitude to Sara Taylor, the assistant director of the American College Center for Ethics in the Financial Services, for all the help in editing, reading, advising and sorting out the vari- Acknowledgments xi ous details of the book.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ELA 10 Academic Lit and Comp
    PLANNED COURSE OF STUDY Course Title English Literature and Composition - Academic Grade Level Tenth Grade Credits One Content Area / Dept. English Language Arts Length of Course One semester Author(s) J. McCaslin, K. Ward, G. Woehlcke Course Description: Literature and Composition (Academic), a diverse, thematically structured course, expands upon the writing process and the development of literary analysis skills. Students write a series of analytical and reader response essays and read from a variety of literary genres. Instruction focuses on analyzing literary elements, analyzing author’s purpose, and writing with precision and focus. Additionally, students learn and practice research skills and processes. Grammar usage within the context of students’ reading and writing is an integral component. Students also continue their study of vocabulary through close analysis of literary passages. Though many years of English education can have a bearing on their results, students take the Literature Keystone Exam in grade 10 in addition to their final exams. Course Rationale: The works in the tenth-grade curriculum compel all of us to examine who we are as storytellers. As students progress through the course, they engage in conversations about how we communicate our identities through the observations, insights, and stories we tell. To this end, students closely examine the obvious ways in which we communicate tone through language, movement, and the nature of our conflicts. These conversations yield valuable dialogue and allow multiple openings to evaluate how an author forms a literary identity. Equally important, students have the opportunity to self-reflect on their own identity. Ultimately, students can see how conflict shapes identity and produces insight and growth.
    [Show full text]
  • This Book Was First Published in 1951 by Little, Brown and Company
    This book was first published in 1951 by Little, Brown and Company. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE By J.D. Salinger © 1951 CHAPTER 1 If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them. They're quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father. They're nice and all--I'm not saying that--but they're also touchy as hell. Besides, I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy. I mean that's all I told D.B. about, and he's my brother and all. He's in Hollywood. That isn't too far from this crumby place, and he comes over and visits me practically every week end. He's going to drive me home when I go home next month maybe. He just got a Jaguar. One of those little English jobs that can do around two hundred miles an hour.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    But some groups are more equal than others – a critical review of the group- criterion in the concept of discrimination Draft version, December 2011 Introduction In this article I aim to discuss what I consider an underappreciated problem in the conceptualisation of discrimination, to wit limiting the definition to particular groups. That some form of grouping, and the divisions between people this implies, plays a necessary part in the definition of discrimination is obvious, in that the basis of discrimination is differential treatment, which presupposes distinguishing between those to be treated one way and those to be treated another. Any way of doing so may be said to rely on dividing people into groups, even if inexplicit and unreflective. Using groups in this rather trivial sense is uncontroversially necessary to the definition, because unless such distinctions are drawn no form of discrimination, even understood in its widest, non-normative sense, would be possible. But it is not this trivial sense with which I am concerned here. My concern is rather what I shall call the “group-criterion”: the idea, prominent in both legal and philosophical definitions, that particular groups are the subject-matter of the concept of discrimination, that these can be established prior to any specific case of discrimination, and, most importantly, that not all groups can be subject to discrimination. Typically, this condition is expressed in the form of what we might call “the prohibited list”: a selection of traits that must not be the basis of
    [Show full text]
  • The Transformation Test: Artistic Expression, Fair Use, and the Derivative Right
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Florida International University College of Law FIU Law Review Volume 6 Number 1 Article 10 Fall 2010 The Transformation Test: Artistic Expression, Fair Use, and the Derivative Right Frank Houston Follow this and additional works at: https://ecollections.law.fiu.edu/lawreview Part of the Other Law Commons Online ISSN: 2643-7759 Recommended Citation Frank Houston, The Transformation Test: Artistic Expression, Fair Use, and the Derivative Right, 6 FIU L. Rev. 123 (2010). Available at: https://ecollections.law.fiu.edu/lawreview/vol6/iss1/10 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by eCollections. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Law Review by an authorized editor of eCollections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Transformation Test: Artistic Expression, Fair Use, and the Derivative Right * Frank Houston “It would be a dangerous undertaking for persons trained only to the law to constitute themselves final judges of the worth of [art] . .”1 – Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes The fair use doctrine is perhaps copyright law’s most malleable concept. Defined as a privilege allowing the use of copyrighted ma- terial, for limited purposes, without the copyright owner’s consent,2 fair use stands for the proposition that copyright protection is not ab- solute. Copyright law’s purpose is twofold: It protects the remunera- tive interests of authors, and it cultivates a culture of learning and creativity.3 If its protections are too narrow, copyright’s incentives may be inadequate to motivate authors to create; if they are extended too broadly, copyright owners might chill discourse and cultural de- velopment.4 Fair use straddles this divide.
    [Show full text]
  • An Experiment in Autobiographical Fiction
    An Experiment in Autobiographical Fiction A Humanities & Arts MQP by Marc Anthony Bouchard The Choice of Autobiographical Fiction When undertaking the project of composing a narrative, a writer is set against more difficulties than mere word choice, use of imagery, metaphor, flourish and correct placement of semi-colons. Writing is a process of refinement, and only one-half of the process of composing a narrative. A successful narrative requires characters, plot, subplots, drama, tension, climatic moments, resolution, conflict and dialogue, and all the best writing in the world could not save a poorly thought out and uninteresting story from disinterest or bad reviews. When I compose a story I do not simply or magically capture ideas and characters out of the air around me, but rather create and conjure them up from the immense pools and depths of my experiences and imagination. It is perhaps impossible for any writer of fiction to not incorporate some aspect of their own life or some story which they have read into their own narratives, regardless of how it manifests itself within their work. Perhaps a writer will emulate the epic structure of The Lord of the Rings to frame a series of battles they had been in while touring Korea, or perhaps they will use the structure or concept of The Catcher in the Rye to tell their own tale of dysfunction or the lasting emotional scars of loss. Perhaps I should reflect upon the similarities of The Catcher in the Rye and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and how while both are amazingly similar, the former is a fiction, while the latter is an autobiography.
    [Show full text]
  • Stephen's Guide to the Logical Fallacies by Stephen Downes Is Licensed Under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License
    Stephen’s Guide to the Logical Fallacies Stephen Downes This site is licensed under Creative Commons By-NC-SA Stephen's Guide to the Logical Fallacies by Stephen Downes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at www.fallacies.ca. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.fallacies.ca/copyrite.htm. This license also applies to full-text downloads from the site. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 How To Use This Guide ............................................................................................................................ 4 Fallacies of Distraction ........................................................................................................................... 44 Logical Operators............................................................................................................................... 45 Proposition ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Truth ................................................................................................................................................. 47 Conjunction ....................................................................................................................................... 48 Truth Table .......................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 140174NCJRS.Pdf
    If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. I' '. o f :, I\ BASIC COURSE i UNIT GUIDE J1 ! ( 6 ) ~__________ C_R_IM_E_S_A_G_A_IN_S_T_P_R_O_P_E_R_TY __________ J This unit guide covers the following performance objectives containe in Performance Objectives for the POST Basic Course: 3.9.1 3.12.2 3.13.5 3.16.2 3.9.2 3.13.1 3.14.1 3.16.3 3.9.3 3.13.2 3.15.1 3.11.1 3.13.3 3.15.2 • 3.12.1 3.13.4 3.16.1 NCJRS nAN 12 199~ ACQUISITIONS THE COMMISSION ON PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING • STATE OF CALIFORNIA • This unit of instruction is designed as a guideline for performance obJective-based law enforcement basic training. It Is part of the POST Basic Course guidelines system developed by California law enforcement trainers and criminal Justice educators for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. This guide is designed to assist the Instructor In developing an ,,' appropriate lesson plan to cover the performance objectives which are required as minimum content of the Basic Course . • 140174 U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the oHicial position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been gr~clt.et.t~ornia Ccnm. on Peace Officer Standards and Training to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS).
    [Show full text]
  • The Burglar in the Rye
    The Burglar in the Rye LAWRENCE BLOCK this one’s for Joe Pittman CONTENTS CHAPTER One The lobby was a bit the worse for wear. The… CHAPTER Two The business is Barnegat Books, an antiquarian bookstore on East… CHAPTER Three Since I’d missed lunch, you could say that I’d had… CHAPTER Four The Paddington had a single stairwell, and the fire door… CHAPTER Five I didn’t bide my time on the fire escape. I… CHAPTER Six I suppose I should begin at the beginning. It started… CHAPTER Seven “So this is rye,” Carolyn said. “It tastes a little… CHAPTER Eight Gulliver Fairborn would have hated it. CHAPTER Nine It was Ray Kirschmann, wearing a dark blue suit and… CHAPTER Ten “Whatever you’re doin’,” she growled, “keep doin’ it. Words of… CHAPTER Eleven “Kessler’s Maryland Rye Whiskey,” Martin Gilmartin pronounced, holding his glass… CHAPTER Twelve “The cat uses the toilet,” Henry Walden said. “But of… CHAPTER Thirteen I woke up eight hours later, well rested, glad to… CHAPTER Fourteen But by then I was standing in the bathtub, cowering… CHAPTER Fifteen Remarkably enough, I was open for business a few minutes… CHAPTER Sixteen In the time I was gone, Henry had made a… CHAPTER Seventeen “A dead woman,” I said. CHAPTER Eighteen It was getting on for nine that night by the… CHAPTER Nineteen Ray Kirschmann scratched his head. “I dunno,” he said. “Them’s… CHAPTER Twenty Isis Gauthier’s room was a lot nicer than mine. It… CHAPTER Twenty-one Everyone looked at Carl Pillsbury, and I have to hand… CHAPTER Twenty-two “Bernie,” she said, as if she’d just been stabbed in… CHAPTER Twenty-three I have to say the fresh air was welcome.
    [Show full text]
  • The Job Creation Shell Game: Ending the Wasteful Practice of Subsidizing Companies That Move Jobs from One State to Another
    January 2013 The Job Creation Shell Game: Ending the Wasteful Practice of Subsidizing Companies that Move Jobs From One State to Another by Greg LeRoy, Kasia Tarczynska, Leigh McIlvaine, Thomas Cafcas and Philip Mattera A Publication of: Good Jobs First January 2013 © Copyright 2013 Good Jobs First. All Rights Reserved. Acknowledgements Good Jobs First gratefully acknowledges the assistance of various organiza- tions and individuals. Any errors or omissions are ours, not theirs. ThanksWe wish also to to:thank Noah the Berger state ofand the local Massachusetts economic development Budget and Policy officials Center; and Amythe staffers Blouin andof regional Traci Gleason business of theorganizations Missouri Budgetwho answered Project; Kateour queries.Brew- ster of the Center for Economic Progress in Rhode Island; Brett Bursey of - nomic Development Council; Allan Freyer of the North Carolina Budget and Taxthe SouthCenter; Carolina Bill Howell Progressive of Tennesseans Network; forJeff Fair Finkle Taxation; of the InternationalChad Johnson Eco of AFSCME Local 1733 in Memphis; Gordon MacInnes and Jon Whiten of New Jersey Policy Perspective; Craig McDonald of Texans for Public Justice; James Parrott of the Fiscal Policy Institute in New York; Zach Schiller of Policy Matters Ohio; Andria Signore of the Edward Lowe Foundation; Wesley Tharpe of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute; Don Walls of Walls & Associates; and Angie Wei and Sara Flocks of the California Labor Federation. Finally, thanks to our own Good Jobs New York director Bettina
    [Show full text]
  • The Genesis of Theme in Salinger: a Study of the Early Stories
    The genesis of theme in Salinger: a study of the early stories Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Taiz, Nard Nicholas, 1939- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 05:33:52 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/317934 THE GENESIS OF THEME IN SALINGER: A STUDY OF THE EARLY STORIES by Nard Nicholas Taiz A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 6 6 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfill­ ment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission? provided that accurate acknowl­ edgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the inter­ ests of scholarship« In all other instances9 however, permission must be obtained from the author.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking
    Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking Version 1.4 Matthew J. Van Cleave Lansing Community College Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking by Matthew J. Van Cleave is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Table of contents Preface Chapter 1: Reconstructing and analyzing arguments 1.1 What is an argument? 1.2 Identifying arguments 1.3 Arguments vs. explanations 1.4 More complex argument structures 1.5 Using your own paraphrases of premises and conclusions to reconstruct arguments in standard form 1.6 Validity 1.7 Soundness 1.8 Deductive vs. inductive arguments 1.9 Arguments with missing premises 1.10 Assuring, guarding, and discounting 1.11 Evaluative language 1.12 Evaluating a real-life argument Chapter 2: Formal methods of evaluating arguments 2.1 What is a formal method of evaluation and why do we need them? 2.2 Propositional logic and the four basic truth functional connectives 2.3 Negation and disjunction 2.4 Using parentheses to translate complex sentences 2.5 “Not both” and “neither nor” 2.6 The truth table test of validity 2.7 Conditionals 2.8 “Unless” 2.9 Material equivalence 2.10 Tautologies, contradictions, and contingent statements 2.11 Proofs and the 8 valid forms of inference 2.12 How to construct proofs 2.13 Short review of propositional logic 2.14 Categorical logic 2.15 The Venn test of validity for immediate categorical inferences 2.16 Universal statements and existential commitment 2.17 Venn validity for categorical syllogisms Chapter 3: Evaluating inductive arguments and probabilistic and statistical fallacies 3.1 Inductive arguments and statistical generalizations 3.2 Inference to the best explanation and the seven explanatory virtues 3.3 Analogical arguments 3.4 Causal arguments 3.5 Probability 3.6 The conjunction fallacy 3.7 The base rate fallacy 3.8 The small numbers fallacy 3.9 Regression to the mean fallacy 3.10 Gambler’s fallacy Chapter 4: Informal fallacies 4.1 Formal vs.
    [Show full text]
  • Confidence Tricks - 08-12-2011 by Seolawtransfer - Law Firm Newswire
    Confidence Tricks - 08-12-2011 by seolawtransfer - Law Firm Newswire - http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com Confidence Tricks by seolawtransfer - Friday, August 12, 2011 http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com/law-center/criminal-defense/federal-fraud/confidence-tricks/ The term “confidence tricks” comes to mind when someone attends a fair or exhibition, where many games of chance, notably the shell game, are confidence tricks. Over time, this simple game has escalated into many more complex and intricate scams that have taken people in, resulting in them losing money and damaging their self-esteem. A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud someone or a group, by first getting them to trust the trickster. In other words, the goal is to gain their trust and confidence. The fraudster may work alone or with others, and their main goal is to take advantage of people’s weaknesses, such as compassion, vanity, greed, stupidity and/or irresponsibility. Whatever the target is, it is typically of more value than what the confidence trickster offers in return. “Confidence man” first appeared in the English language in 1849 in the news coverage of the trial of William Thompson. Thompson would chat up marks, ask them if they had the confidence to loan him their watch or other personal items, and then walk off with the booty. The police apprehended him when a victim spotted him on the street. Today’s confidence tricks tally up to a very long list of nefarious activities that include, but are not limited to: salting, the Nigerian scam, infomercial manipulation, cons by wire, missionary scam, romance scam, fortune telling fraud, coin collection, pig in a poke, white van speaker, Thai gem, and so on.
    [Show full text]