CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold 1 Logical Structure of Arguments (cont’d)
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold2 The Toulmin System (review) Initial enthymeme: Claim: Stated Reason: Grounds: Warrant: Backing: Conditions of Rebuttal: Rebutting reasons and grounds Rebutting the warrant and backing Qualifier since cannot usually prove your argument, qualify it
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold3 The Toulmin System (example) Initial enthymeme: Globalization is ethically wrong because it does not improve the quality of life in poor, developing countries Claim: Globalization is ethically wrong Stated Reason: because it does not improve the quality of life in poor developing countries Grounds: Warrant: Backing: Conditions of Rebuttal: Rebutting reasons and grounds Rebutting the warrant and backing Qualifier: since cannot usually prove your argument, qualify it
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold4 ISSUE QUESTION: Should it be legal for drivers to talk on cell phones while driving? Audience: Your state political representatives Claim: Cell phones should be illegal to use while driving. Reason 1: because holding a cell phone in one hand diminishes drivers’ capacity to control their cars physically Grounds: Find statistics showing how many drivers have had trouble making turns or staying in their lanes when talking on ca cell phone; statistics of number of accidents caused by cell phone users Warrant: Anything that interferes with drivers’ ability to handle their cars is bad Backing: Conditions of Rebuttal for Reason 1: Cell phones have been shown to be valuable in road emergencies; many business people need cell phones to make contact with clients and need to save time by talking while they are driving; drivers use their hands to do a lot of other equally or more distracting things while driving, such as drinking coffee, reading, fiddling with CDs and tapes, shaving, putting on make-up; should these activities be banned too? Qualifier: Except with a headset of speaker-phone, cell phones should be illegal to use while driving
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold5 Audience: Your state political representatives Claim: Cell phones should be illegal to use while driving. Reason 2: Grounds: Warrant: Backing: Conditions of Rebuttal for Reason 2 Qualifier: ISSUE QUESTION: Should it be legal for drivers to talk on cell phones while driving?
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold6 Audience-based Reasons Audience-based VS writer-based Discussion: What is the warrant Will audience grant it? 1.Audience: a beleaguered parent a.I should be allowed to stay out until 2 A.M. because all my friends do b.I should be allowed to stay out until 2 A.M. because only if I’m free to make my own decisions will I mature
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold7 1.Who is your audience? 2.How much do they care about your issue? 3.What is your audience’s current attitude toward your issue? 4.What will be your audience’s likely objections to your argument? 5.What values, beliefs, or assumptions about the work do you and your audience share? Who is Your Audience
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold8 What Will Be Your Audiences in the Next Five Years? In each case, for what are you trying to argue?
CS 4001Mary Jean Harrold9 What Will Be Your Audiences in the Next Five Years? In each case, for what are you trying to argue? 1.A company where you want to get a job 2.A boss whom you want to convince about your project. 3.A project leader whom you want to convince about your design. 4.A customer whom you want to convince about your plan for developing their software. 5.A graduate school where you want to enroll. 6.A teacher whom you want to convince to pass you