English B50

Reading Quiz What was the Berkeley bake sale protesting? What campus group sponsored the bake sale? Why was the bake sale considered by some to be offensive? The group sponsoring the sale labeled it a “satire”. What is satire? The Live Blog frequently mentions a group named BAMN. What does this acronym stand for?

Discussion Questions In small groups, discuss Response Question #2 on page 755 (at the end of “The Berkeley Bake Sale” Record your group’s answer on a single sheet of paper with all group members’ names. Be prepared to share your responses with the class.

Argument Structure Basic arguments can be made in two ways: inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning groups specific examples and then draws a conclusion from them. The probability of becoming schizophrenic is greatly increased if at least one parent is schizophrenic. Therefore, schizophrenia may be inherited. Deductive reasoning sets out a general rule and applies it to a specific case in order to reach a conclusion Bachelors are unmarried men. Bill is unmarried. Therefore, Bill is a bachelor.

Classical Oration Classical oration has six parts Exordium—attention getter and introduction to the topic Narratio—background information of the topic, putting the issue in context Partitio—explanation of the claim and key issues Confirmatio—detailed support for claim in the form of logical reasoning and evidence Refutatio—recognition and refutation of opposing viewpoints Peroratio—summary and call to action

Rogerian Argument Rogerian Arguments are more non-confrontational than classical oration. The goal of the invitational rhetoric employed by a Rogerian argument is compromise and getting people to work together for a common goal. It has four parts Introduction and background information Context and alternate points of view Writer’s position or claim Benefits to opponent—how would the audience benefit from agreeing with the author?

Example of Rogerian Argument (Intro) Smoking cigarettes can cause lung problems. Both first-hand and second-hand smokers are affected by cigarette smoke. Scientific findings and researches show that the chemicals in cigarettes, apart from the smoke, can lead to health problems such as lung cancer. Smoking cigarettes should be banned in public places. In public places, more people, both young and old, can be exposed to the smoke from cigarettes. (Context)My position differs from those who might say that smoking altogether should not be banned. (Claim) My position is that smoking in public places should be banned. It does not include smoking in private places like homes. (Benefits) Smoking in public places should be banned because it poses health risks to individuals who are non-smokers and who do not want to inhale the fumes from cigarettes. The risks are double to those who already have lung ailments.

Toulmin Argument The Toulmin argument puts labels on the way we all tend to make well-reasoned arguments Claim—thesis Qualifiers, if any Reasons Evidence—source material Warrants—assumptions Backing—evidence for warrant My claim is true, to a qualified degree, because of the following reasons, which make sense if you consider the warrant, backed by these additional reasons.

Example of Toulmin Argument “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” Kanye West Claim: value/judgment George Bush doesn’t care about black people. Grounds: FEMA’s response to hurricane Katrina was intentionally slow Warrant: cause-effect the reason the federal government didn’t respond faster is because most of the victims were black.

Activity Get out your in-class essay #1. See if you can chart your argument according to the Toulmin model of argument. What is your claim? Are there any qualifiers? What are your primary reasons? What evidence did you offer (this will likely have come from the article). What warrants were present—note that these are often difficult to spot because they seem so obvious. Did you provide any backing for your warrants? If so, record that, too.