html5-img
1 / 17

What is argument?

What is argument?. Beyond hair pulling, dish throwing, yelling, and other in-your-face actions. Definitions of “argument”. A process of reasoning using evidence and proof Discourse about controversial issues

weston
Télécharger la présentation

What is argument?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. What is argument? Beyond hair pulling, dish throwing, yelling, and other in-your-face actions

  2. Definitions of “argument” • A process of reasoning using evidence and proof • Discourse about controversial issues • Defending a value judgment—testing ideas about good and bad, right and wrong, esp when facts don’t help decide • Proposing solutions for a problem • Challenging other people’s solutions

  3. Parts of an argument • What do you notice (observe, experience)? • What are you trying to prove? • Where are you coming from?

  4. 1. Claim: what are you trying to prove? • May sound like a thesis statement • 5 main types

  5. Claims of fact • Facts are never neutral • Facts don’t speak for themselves • Facts require interpretation • Claims of fact attempt to prove something is true

  6. Claims of definition • Cicero: “Every rational discussion of anything whatsoever should begin with a definition in order to make clear what is the subject of dispute.” • Establishes what writer and reader can agree on

  7. Claims of cause • Explains the “why” something happened • Demonstrates basis, motive, background • Justifies outcomes, results, effects • Focuses on the past

  8. Claims of value • Make a judgement (e.g. dis/approval, right/wrong, good/bad, un/desirable) • Individual or represents a group • Focuses on the present

  9. Claims of policy • Emphasizes “shoulds and oughts” • Looks for solutions to problems • Focuses on the future

  10. 2. Evidence: what do you have to go on? • Toulmin: “something that tends to prove: grounds for belief” • Can be observations, eyewitness accounts • Documentation (letters, diaries, memos) • Opinions, expert testimony, interpretations

  11. Evaluating evidence • Is it up to date? • Is it sufficient to persuade? • Does it come from a trustworthy source? • Is it consistent, coherent, relevant, clear?

  12. Evaluating evidence • Is there enough evidence? • Are you as a reader persuaded? • Is the source qualified to give an opinion? • Is the source biased?

  13. Evaluating evidence • Is it relevant? • Is the example truly representative or does it fit something else better?

  14. 3. Warrants: where are you coming from? • Values • Underlying assumptions • Beliefs • “what makes people think and/or act as they do”

  15. How the Recommendation Report Argues • You make claims about what the client should do (steps to take) • Present evidence supporting your claim(s) • Shape your report according to what you know about the client’s warrants--and your own

  16. Organizing Reports that Persuade/Work • Overview--address the audience, summarize claims, establish your credibility, introduce claims • Analyses--present evidence (data, research, survey results) • Recommendations--steps to be followed, persuades claims • Cost Analyses • List of Resources--MLA (websites, interviews, texts and materials, sources) • Appendices--samples, data bases, additional data

  17. Questions?

More Related