Sample Arguments to be Toulminized Identify the claim, reasons, and warrant for each argument

Argument #1 Volatility in the stock market will probably persist for the foreseeable future. In a global economy, changing circumstances anywhere in the world can create uncertainty.

The Toulminized version Claim: value/judgment: volatility in the stock market will probably persist for the foreseeable future. reasons: In a global economy, changing circumstances anywhere in the world can create uncertainty. Warrant: political and economic uncertainties elsewhere produce fluctuations in stock values in the U.S. Qualifier: probably

Argument #2 Ronald Reagan’s likeness should be chiseled onto Mt. Rushmore, alongside Washington, Jefferson Lincoln and Roosevelt. Polls show Americans rank him with John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents of all time.

The Toulminized version Claim: policy Ronald Reagan’s likeness should be chiseled onto Mt. Rushmore. reasons: Polls show Americans rank him with JFK and Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents of all time. Warrant: public popularity is the basis for determining whose face belongs on Mt. Rushmore.

Argument #3 Many people who identify as social conservatives may not like it, but citizens have a Constitutional right to burn the American flag. Flag burning is a symbolic, political act and it is precisely such unpopular, offensive symbolic acts that the 1st amendment was designed to protect.

The Toulminized version Claim: value/judgment Many people who identify as social conservatives may not like it, but citizens do have a Constitutional right to burn the American flag. reasons: Flag burning is a symbolic, political act and it is precisely such unpopular, offensive symbolic acts that the 1st amendment was designed to protect. Warrant: Not only words, but also symbolic acts, such as flag burning, are encompassed within the scope of the 1st amendment.

Argument #4 Herbal remedies may do more harm than good in some cases. People with serious health problems may delay or forego needed medical care because they are relying on herbal remedies St. John’s Wort

The Toulminized version Claim: value/judgment Herbal remedies may do more harm than good. reasons: People with serious health problems may delay or forego needed medical care because they are relying on herbal medicines. Warrant: cause-effect reasoning; the effect of relying on herbal remedies is to postpone needed medical care Qualifier: in some cases