Argumentation

ArgumentationWhatisitandwhatareitsparts?ARGUMENTATION•Theaimofwritingargumentativeessaysistoconvinceorpersuadethereader.•Oneattemptstochangethereader’smindandconvincethereadertoagreewiththepointofvieworclaimofthewriter.•Soanargumentativeessayneedstobehighlypersuasiveandlogical.What’stheDifferencebetweenArgumentativeandPersuasive?Argumentative:Thisisaformalessaywhereyouconsiderbothsidesofacontroversialtopic,inaneutralfashion.Youmayincludeamoresubjectivestanceattheconclusionofyouressay,oryoumaywishtoremainobjective.Persuasive:Thisisanessaywhereyouareattemptingtoconvinceyourreadertoacceptyourviewpointonaparticulartopic.Thisisnotexpectedtobeabalancedargument;however,itisagoodideatoacknowledgetheopposingview.Argumentation:Whatisit?•Itisareasoned,logicalwayofassertingthesoundnessofaposition,belief,orconclusion.•Ittakesastand—supportedbyevidence—andurgespeopletosharethewriter’sperspectiveandinsights.Argumentation:Purposes1.Toconvinceotherpeopletoaccept—oratleastacceptthevalidityof—yourposition2.Todefendyourposition,evenifotherscannotbeconvincedtoagree3.Toquestionorrefuteapositionyoubelievetobemisguided,untrue,ordangerouswithoutnecessarilyofferinganalternativePurposesContinuedToachievethesepurposes,argumentationhasaformalstructurewhichevolvesaccordingtoawriter’sinterpretationandpresentationofevidence.Agoodpersuasiveargument...•...conveysareasonableconclusion--oftencalledathesisoraclaim--aboutacontroversialtopic.•...presentssupportingevidencethatisalwaysincorporated,explainedanddocumentedclearlyandprecisely..OrganizingYourArgument•Title•Introduction–Thesisstatement•BodyParagraphs–ConstructingTopicSentences–BuildingMainPoints–CounteringtheOpposition•ConclusionElementsofanargumentativeessay1.Evidence2.Appeals3.Nodstoandrefutationoftheopposition4.Aclearsenseofpurpose5.Aclearthesisorclaim6.AclearsenseofaudienceEvidenceisevaluatedintermsoffourcriteria:1.Relevance:evidenceshouldsupporttheessay’sthesisorclaimandbepertinenttotheargumentbeingmade.–Example:inanessaysupportingmandatoryHIVtestingforallhealthcareworkers,onewritermadethepointthatthespreadofAIDSisatepidemicproportions.Toillustratethepointthepoint,thewriterprovidedadiscussionofthebubonicplaguein14thcenturyEurope.Whymightthatbeaproblem?EvidenceandtheFourCriteriaContinued2.RepresentativeorTypicality:evidenceshouldrepresentthefullrangeofopinionsaboutthesubjectandnotjustonesideortheother.Youwantabalancedandconvincingdiscussion.Inaddition,theexamplesandexpertopinionsyouincludeshouldbetypicalratherthanaberrant•Ifyouarguedagainsttheuseofanimalsinmedicalexperimentation,youwouldnotusejusttheinformationprovidedbyanimalrightsactivists.Why?EvidenceandtheFourCriteriaContinued3.Sufficient:thereshouldbeenoughevidencetosupporttheclaim(s).Theamountofevidencerequireddependsuponthelengthofyourpaper,youraudience,andthenatureofyourthesis.•Whywouldanauthorarguingforthevalidityofalienabductionstoriesrequiremoreevidencethanonearguingagainsttheirvalidity?EvidenceandtheFourCriteriaContinued4.Accuracy:Datashouldn’tbeusedunlessitisaccurateandup-to-date,anditcan’tbepersuasiveunlesstheaudiencebelievesinthewriter’scredibility.Faithintheaccuracyofawriter’sdataisonefunctionofethos.Evidence:DifferentKinds•Factual(ChesterA.Arthurwasthe21stpresident):Themostcommonlyusedtypeofevidence;maybedrawnfromyourownexperiencebutprimarilydrawnfromresearchandreading.Factsaremoreconvincingwhensupplementedbyopinions,orinterpretationsoffacts.Evidence:DifferentKinds•Authoritative(experttestimony):Notallopinionsareequal.Theopinionsofexpertsaremoreconvincingthatarethoseofindividualswithnospecializedknowledge.Intheend,whatisimportantisnotjustthequalityofevidencebutalsothecredibilityofthepersonofferingit.Evidence:DifferentKinds•Personal/anecdotal(callinguponyourfirst-handexperience),“Volunteeringatthebatteredwomen’sshelter,Iwasconstantlyremindedoftheemotionalandpsychologicaldevastationwroughtbyspousalabuseonthemostinnocentofvictims:thechildren.Inthistimeofslash-and-burnbudgetcuts,wemustprotectthesocialprogramsthatprotectouryoungestandmostvulnerablecitizens.”Evidence:DifferentKinds•Statistical(graphs,surveys)“A2001surveybyNielsenMediaResearchfoundthat71percentofthetop10programsin60countrieswerelocallyproducedin2001,representingasteadyincreaseoverpreviousyears.Americanmoviesontelevisionstilldrewbigratings,grabbing9percentofthetop10slots,butAmericandramaticorcomedicseriestypicallyratedmuchlowerthanlocalshows.”WorkCitedKapner,Suzanne.“U.S.TVShowsLosingPotencyAroundtheWorld.”NYTimesontheWeb2Jan.2003.2Jan.2003:DifferentKinds•LogicalAppeals(usinginductiveordeductivereasoning,orToulminlogic)–AllbooksfromtheRUbookstoreareused.–ThesebooksarefromRUbookstore.–Therefore,thesebooksareused.•EmotionalAppeals(appealingtoreaders’feelings)•Social/EthicalAppeals(appealingtoreaders’senseofrightandwrong)Logos,Pathos,andEthos•Logos-logicalappeal–Evidenceandthereasoningbasedonthatevidence•Ethos-ethicalappeal–AccordingtoAristotle--thecredibilityortrustworthinessthatth