The Method Argumentative or Persuasive writings act as an exchange between two or more parties (the Writer and Reader) where one side tries to convince the other into favorably viewing their logical assessment of a given subject. Elements of the Argument Claims (The Thesis & Supporting Topic Sentences) Evidence: facts or information that validate a claim Assumptions: A belief or idea taken for granted Reasoning –Inductive: Gathering the various facts and creating a generalization from those facts –Deductive: Where the discussion moves from a general statement to the particular, also known as Syllogism Persuasion & Argument

The Process Finding a Subject 1.State your opinion about the issue at hand “What I want to say is… (and fill in the blank!) 2.Propose a solution to the problem “What I’d like to see happen is…(and again, fill in the blank!) 3.Find evidence to support your claim. 4.State reasonable assumptions to connect your evidence to your thesis / claims. i.Make sure you avoided any logical fallacies. 5.Respond to Objections (this is new to your essay writing) i.Failing to address the opposing side’s views leaves your argument imbalanced, & weakened 6.Conclude with a final, compelling idea. * This is very similar to the traditional academic analyses you’ve written up to this point. Persuasion & Argument

Claim (Intro) Evidence (Main Body) Assumptions (Main Body) Response to Objections (Main Body)* ConclusionSound Familiar? Persuasion & Argument

The Logical Fallacies (Most but not all!) Non Sequitur: It does not follow, or stating a conclusion that does not reasonably arise from the facts provided. “My grandfather was the first mayor of the city, so logically, I am completely against buying foreign cars.” Oversimplification: Providing simple and easy answers for large-scale problems. “If marijuana were was legalized, then there wouldn’t be any more drug problems amongst teens.” Hasty Generalization: Immediately jumping to a conclusion without sufficient or reliable evidence. “The mysterious narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” had to be a man because a woman could never strangle an old man to death.” Either / Or Reasoning: Presenting only two options when the field of discussion is not actually limited to only two possibilities. “You are either for the death penalty or against it.” Argument From Doubtful / Unidentified Authority: When the source of a fact is unknown and appears questionable. Fairly self-explanatory :) “According to certain studies, most students will believe anything they are told by their professors.” ;-) Persuasion & Argument

The Logical Fallacies (Most but not all!) Ad Hominem: Attacking a person’s views by attacking their character. “Your point about the benefits of universal healthcare are incorrect because you’re a bad student.” Begging the Question: When you claim something to be true because it is true, also known as circular argument. “The final portfolio for this class is difficult because of the many difficulties present.” Post Hoc: After this, therefore because of this. “If I get a job that pays well, I will be happy.” False Analogy: The claim of persuasive likeness when there is no basis for comparison. “The topic of discussion was about as deep as a watermelon.” Persuasion & Argument

The HOMEWORK (You Knew It Was Coming!) Find ONE commercial on YouTube for a Critical Thinking Exercise and Presentation. You will need to: 1.Analyze the commerical and discuss what takes place. 2.Infer what ideas the company is trying to convey to the viewing audience. 3.Synthesize this commercial either with others like it by the same or different companies. 4.Evaluate the content of the commercial and argument the company makes. A.Is it effective or not? B.Is the product itself clear? What do we or don’t we learn about the product through the commercial? Is what left out important? Why? C. What logical fallacies are present? This presentation should last approximately 5 minutes. You will want to the link to your specific commercial in case you have difficulty loading it up. If you cannot load your commercial or are not prepared, you will receive a zero--so plan ahead! Lastly, come prepared with a one-page handout covering the aforementioned criteria for both myself and your classmates. Persuasion & Argument