Argumentation

1. Argumentation Chapter 16

2. Argumentation • In an argument essay, you defend a controversial point-- one with which at least some readers will not agree -- with a series of solid reasons.

3. Strategies for Argumentation • 1) Use tactful, courteous language. • 2) Point out common ground. • 3) Acknowledge differing viewpoints and • 4) grant their merits (if appropriate). • 5) Rebut differing viewpoints.

4. Use tactful, courteous language. • In an argumentative essay, your goal is to have the reader adopt your claim or viewpoint. • You want to avoid: • Being condescending • Being rude or belittling • Attacking the opposition Examples: • “Unless you’ve lived under a rock for thirty years…” • “Are you kidding me? That’s a ridiculous idea.” • “All the corporation cares about is profit, and can’t be trusted to do what’s right for the people.”

5. Point out Common Ground. • Common ground is your likeness, or rather, the opinions that you share. • If you can find opinions you share with your opposition or common interests or goals, you are more likely to get the attention of your target audience— who is likely to be your opposition, or those “on the fence.” Example: Before you launch into your argument about a more-regulated school lunch program, remind your readers that you all share the same interest – healthier kids.

6. Acknowledge Different Viewpoints • Acknowledging differing viewpoints is as important as finding common ground. • If you just ignore the points of the opposition, your argument is weak because you don’t only appear unaware, but you’ve missed the opportunity to refute the claims of the opposition or the flaws in their reasoning or position. • You should recognize the opposing viewpoint as early as possible. Many writers do so in their thesis statement. • Others choose to write two statements to outline each point of view and then provide the thesis statement. • A writer may choose, instead, to summarize the points of the alternate viewpoint in a paragraph in the essay. This is effective in giving more adequate detail.

7. When Appropriate, Grant the Merits of the Differing Viewpoints Sometimes –no, often– the opposing argument has valid points that are undeniable. • If you attempt to argue against a good point that makes sense, you lose your own credibility and weaken your argument. • It’s best to acknowledge the strength of the point and then make your argument around it, giving clarity to its strength. • For example, you might write: • “While English has become the international language of business and computer software can translate nearly any text for us these days, it is still important for students to study a foreign language simply because of the mental agility that is gained through this challenge.”

8. Rebut Different Viewpoints Often just noting your awareness of the opposing view is not enough; you must rebut it in order to successfully convince your audience. • To rebut an argument, you break it down, or overturn it. There are two ways you might rebut an argument: • 1. You can detail, point by point, your opposition’s argument and present counterarguments to those points or, • 2. Present the points collectively and counter-argue in the same fashion.

9. Rogerian Argument • Rogerian argument is named for the Carl Rogers, an American psychologist, who stressed the importance of mutual understanding in argument. • In Rogerian-style argument, the participants are not making an effort to “win,” as opposed to the goal of classical argument. • Instead, those involved want to become well-informed of all of the positions in order to foster understanding and a conversation, and in the end, persuasion may occur. • Using this method, the writer introduces the issue without stating an opinion or a position. In this kind of essay, there is no thesis in the introduction that states a claim – simply a description of the matter at hand. • Next, the writer gives objective summaries of the major viewpoints—commonly two in opposition, but maybe more. • A statement of understanding follows, in which the writer details the validity of these views. • Statements of contexts is the part of the essay in which the writer begins to subtly come to a point of view and details how, and in what conditions, the reader might be able to find value (or merit) in his or her position. • Finally, in the last stage of the process, the writer shares a statement of benefit with the reader which gives a solution that might be beneficial for the common good.

10. Logical Fallacies • Logical Fallacies are, simply put, errors in a writer’s logic or reasoning that will undermine his or her argument. • Some common logical fallacies include: • Slippery slope: this fallacy assumes that if one event should occur, that it will launch an event or series of events to follow, often with dire consequences. For example: “if you let your daughter get her ears pierced, next she will want to wear high heels.” • Hasty generalization: this is the fallacy of coming to a quick conclusion with insufficient evidence or due to bias. For example: “I’m no good at English; surely I am going to fail this course.” • Post hoc ergo propter hoc: this is Latin, and translates to “after this, therefore because of this.” As a fallacy, when a writer suggests that one event occurred and another event occurred later, the first event must have caused the latter. For example: “Mayor Jones increased taxes last year, and the crime rate has increased this year. The increase in taxes has caused the increase in crime.” • Ad hominem: This fallacy occurs when a person or group’s credibility is attacked rather than their argument refuted. For example: “John Jackson doesn’t even have a college degree; what could he possibly know about reorganizing the company?” There are several other logical fallacies to look out for both in your own writing, and in your reading. A good resource to consult for fallacies and all things related to writing papers is the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). Weber, R., Brizee, A., (2013, March 11). Logical Fallacies. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/