Developing your arguments 29 Developing your arguments

Reasoning (logos) Claim – an assertion about a fact, value , or policy- the conclusion you want your audience to accept. Evidence – material to support or back up your claim Sufficient True or probable Relevant Arranged logically

Reasoning According to Patterns Inductive Reasoning – specific instances to general conclusions Use sufficient amount of evidence True and accurate evidence Evidence relevant to the claim Shorten the leap between evidence and claim Be careful making absolute claim EVIDENCE: Your lover buys you flowers and rubs your neck when it is stiff. They often hug and smooch you. They comfort you after a tough day of Comm. 1100. CLAIM: Your lover likes you very much.

Patterns of Reasoning cont… Deductive Reasoning- general principle to specific instance Establish validity of major and minor premises Establish logical like between premises Be careful not to insist on absolute conclusions Syllogism – If a=b and b=c then a=c Enthymeme – a syllogism that claims probabilities and likelihoods, not absolutes.

Patterns of Reasoning cont… Causal Reasoning – connect two events according to a cause-and-effect relationship Make sure event is true, accurate, and well supported Spend time linking the know and unknown events Make sure cause and effect have a close chronological relationship Make sure you are not missing multiple causes or effects Make sure claimed cause or effect is likely or most likely Marijuana causes people to try other, more dangerous, drugs.

Patterns of Reasoning cont… Analogical Resoning – similar “things”- presume an unknown quality of one is true because of other know Establish accuracy of know quality Show how the two factors are effectively alike Research differences too Germany has a lower drinking age than the US. The US is like Germany, thus the US should lower the drinking age.

Reasoning Fallacies Bandwagon Appeal to fear Believe me or beware Slippery Slope Event A will no doubt lead to event Z Ad Hominem Attacking the person instead of the problem Either/or Forcing a choice between two options when more exist Red Herring Raise an irrelevant point to diver attention from issue Bandwagon Everyone’s doing it, so you should too.