China Debate Education Network: Elements of Arguments: Claims and Exceptions

Claims Claim defined: The main point of the argument. The arguer’s thesis. Claim is presented for acceptance by an audience or a judge. Can be the conclusion of an argument. Can be a starting point (evidence) for a subsequent claim.

Movement from Evidence to Claim

Using a Claim as Evidence for a Subsequent Claim

Subsequent Claim For Example

Kinds of Claims Descriptions and Definitions Facts: Institutional and brute facts – Brute facts conform to empirical observed reality. – Institutional facts serve the needs and interests of a community. – There are cases that are on the border between brute and institutional facts. – Definitions almost always are about the needs and interests of a community

Kinds of Claims Association Cause and Effect Similarity Coexistence

Kinds of Claims Evaluation Claims that order values Claims that assign values to objects Claims of policy or action

Taxonomy Traditional TaxonomyTaxonomy Used in This Text Fact Being (Brute facts)Description Designation (Institutional facts)Definition RelationshipAssociation Cause and effect Similarity Coexistence ValueEvaluation Ordering values Assigning values to objects Evaluating policies and actions Policy

Exceptions