Strategies for Arguing Argument Unit Bullock, Richard, and Goggin, Maureen Daly, and Francine Weinberg, eds. The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. New York: Norton, 2013. Print. Strategies for Arguing

Reasons for Arguing We argue for many reasons: To convince others that our position on a subject is reasonable To influence the way someone thinks To persuade someone to change their point of view or take action

Arguing Logically: Claims Good arguments are based on arguable claims—statements that reasonable people may disagree about. Certain kinds of statements can not be logically argued about. Verifiable statements of fact. There’s no point in arguing about facts like “The earth is round.” Issues of faith or belief. By definition, matters of faith cannot be proven or refuted. Matters of simple opinion or personal taste. If you think cargo pants are ugly, no amount of arguing will convince you otherwise.

Drafting a Thesis Statement Once your claim is focused, it can form the core of your essay’s thesis statement, which announces your position and forecasts the path your argument will follow. Examples of argument thesis: Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment will give women the chance to serve in combat. Without private school vouchers for taxpayers, some of America’s finest schools may be closed.

Reasons Your claim must be supported by reasons that your audience will accept. A reason can usually be linked to a claim with the word because. Claim + Because + Reason iPods and because they isolate users other MP3 from other people. players harm society

Reasons Keep in mind that you likely have a further reason, a rule or principle that underlies the reason you link directly to your claim. In this argument, the underlying reason is that isolation from other people is bad. If your audience doesn’t accept that principle, you may have to back it up with further reasons or evidence.

Reasons To come up with good reasons, start by stating your position and then answering the question why? Claim: iPods and other MP3 players harm society. Why? Reason: (Because) They isolate users from other people. Why? Underlying Reason: Isolation from other people is bad.

Evidence Evidence to support your reasons can come from various sources. You may need to use several kinds of evidence. Some of the most common types of evidence include facts, statistics, examples, authorities, scenarios, case studies, textual evidence, and visuals.

Convincing Readers You’re Credible and Trustworthy Show direct personal experience with the topic. Incorporate evidence and opinions from experts on the topic. Acknowledge other viewpoints-You may be tempted to ignore other viewpoints you don’t agree with, but it’s important to demonstrate that you are aware of them and have considered them carefully. Refute other viewpoints- You may need to explain why you believe other viewpoints are wrong.

Appealing to Readers’ Emotions Logic and facts may not be enough to persuade readers. Many successful arguments include an emotional component that appeals to readers’ hearts as well as to their minds. Too many emotional appeals can make readers feel as though they are being manipulated and, consequently, less likely to accept an argument. Use sparingly.

Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are flaws or mistakes in reasoning. They are illegitimate or irrelevant to an argument.

Types of Logical Fallacies Hasty generalization Ad hominem Either-or Slippery slope Non-sequiter Red Herring

Hasty generalization A conclusion based on too little evidence, suggesting a superficial investigation of an issue. (May use words like “all,” “none,” “always” or “never”). e.g. Women don’t enjoy watching sports.

Ad hominem An attack directed on the character of the opponent rather than on the issue at hand. e.g. My opponent is only saying that because he is a crazy liberal tree-hugger.

Either-or Suggests that only two choices exist when, in fact, there are more. e.g. You either support the space program or you are against it.

Slippery slope An argument that points to a specific action and claims, without support, that the action will inevitably lead to tragic results. Often used as a scare tactic. e.g. If we start letting doctors remove life support systems from terminally ill patients, then who’s next? Soon they’ll start killing deformed babies. Before you know it, no hospital will be safe. It’s genocide!

Non Sequitur Non Sequitur: a Latin phrase meaning “it does not follow,” presents a conclusion that is not the logical result of a claim or of evidence that precedes it. Example: This car has a noisy engine. It must be fast. (Not necessarily--having a noisy engine does not mean that the car must be fast. It may have a noisy engine because it is a junk car.)

Red Herring an irrelevant issue introduced into a discussion to draw attention away from the central issue. e.g. I work sixty hours a week to support my family, and I pay my taxes. You can’t give me a parking ticket.