Argumentation and Rhetoric The ideas that rule the world

Uncertainty and Claims When we argue we make claims about things that are inherently (by their very nature) uncertain. If they were not uncertain, there would be no need for an argument. A claim is a statement that the arguer believes and that they want their reader (or listener) to believe as well. (e.g. Teachers should be paid more. Ghosts are real. Jimmy Johns is better than Subway. Debate is an important class for students to take. We should build more missiles rather than rely on treaties, Pre-K schooling should be free for all US children, etc.)

Uncertainty and Claims These claims are inherently uncertain because they are based on a value judgment, or they relate to the unpredictable future, or they are part of a complex picture that is difficult to understand holistically. Depending upon how widely accepted this claim is already, we may then need to proceed to reason-giving in order to justify the claim or attain the agreement of an audience.

Argumentation as Reason Giving What would a world look like in which leaders/authority figures were not expected to justify their claims with valid reasons? Free will given up. Future left up to chance or accident or coercion What makes us rational animals is our ability to engage in reason giving. Really, the study of argumentation is the study of EFFECTIVE reason giving.

Effective for Whom? The adjective effective IMPLIES an audience. Whether it be the person you are arguing with, a judge, or an audience of thousands of people, argumentation is ALWAYS done in an attempt to appeal/persuade a SPECIFIC audience. No argument happens in a vacuum. An effective arguer will always take that audience into account and cater their message to the values, beliefs, and commonalities of their audience.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER So, adding this all together, argument is the practice of giving reasons, to justify claims, seeking the adherence of an audience.

THE 3 ROOT DISCIPLINES OF ARGUMENTATION Rhetoric- How spoken or written messages influence people. What is persuasive and why? Logic – The structures of reasoning. How ideas relate or build on each other to lead to conclusions. Dialectic- The discovery and testing of knowledge through question and answer. Think cross- examination in jury trials.

4 GOALS OF THIS COURSE Argument Appraisal. Assess the value and effectiveness of arguments in order to strengthen our own arguments. Learn to recognize arguments – We will learn the vocabulary of argumentation so we can understand and DESCRIBE what an arguer is doing. Build awareness about the CHOICES arguers make. This will help us understand the options that are available to us, and common pitfalls in arguing. We will look at current controversies through the lens of argumentation strategy

Spar Debates In Groups of 3: 1 Judge, 1 arguer for the proposition, 1 against. Rotate for each topic. Arguers have 2 minutes to brainstorm reasons for their side. 1 minute to present case. Same for opposing side. Each side gets 30 seconds for rebuttal . After this, the Judge will make an unbiased decision as to who won. Judge must justify decision.

DEBATE TOPICS Schools should un-block Youtube for students. School uniforms should be required at Rocky Mountain High School. The legal drinking age in Idaho should be lowered to 18.