Types and Strength of Evidence

What kinds of evidence do we use to make claims What kinds of evidence do we use to make claims? List as many as you can! Two Main Types: Hard Evidence: strong appeal to logos and sometimes ethos; difficult to dispute; may lack emotional appeal Soft Evidence: strong appeal to pathos and sometimes ethos; easier to dispute, but can be useful in an argument if used in conjunction with hard evidence

Quantitative or Statistical Evidence Statistics, percentages, facts, etc. Numbers What we tend to look for as “proof” Example: “Four out of Five dentists agree you should use this toothpaste.”

Primary Source Documents Artifact, document, a recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study Examples: Civil disobedience is justified because, as MLK stated in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” “an unjust law is no law at all.”

Testimonial Evidence Authorities on specific subjects Spokespersons who support a particular view Eye-Witness Accounts These testimonials must have credibility (ethos) Example: “As a doctor, I can attest to the fact that his physical condition did not affect his mental stability.”

Current/Historical Events Information learned directly from current events (oh… this is why we do Current Event Assignments! ) Can be hard evidence or soft evidence Shows knowledge of social issues Can you think of an example?

Other anecdotal evidence? Sometimes considered untrustworthy Observation of the world Can disprove generalizations Must be used in conjunction with a stronger type of evidence Other anecdotal evidence?

Analogical Evidence Comparison of one situation to a similar situation Must be used in conjunction with stronger evidence Example: “Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons) has oxygen in its atmosphere, just like the Earth. There’s life on Earth, so there might be life on Europa.” Another example?

Hypothetical Evidence Creating a hypothetical situation to support a claim DO NOT USE THIS UNLESS….. The hypothetical is given from a specialist/authority on the topic. Example: “If we eliminate grades, imagine how students will stop doing their homework and paying attention in class.” Other examples?

So, what are we left with? Quantitative/Statis- tical Current Events Hard Evidence Types Soft Evidence Types Quantitative/Statis- tical Primary Source Some Testimonial Current/Historical Events Current Events Anecdotal Analogical Hypothetical (which we rarely use anyway!)