TOPICS OF INVENTION: COMMON TOPICS DEFINITION COMPARISON CAUSE-EFFECT CIRCUMSTANCE

DEFINITION 1.EXISTENCE 2.CLASSIFICATION 3.DEGREE 4.FORM 5.SUBSTANCE 6.CAPACITY Does it exist? How do we classify it? To what degree is it ______? What is its form? What is its substance? What can it do? Arguments based on the topic of definition attempt to prove that something exists in a certain context with certain attributes

COMPARISON 1.SIMILARITY 2.DIFFERENCE 3.DEGREE concerned with demonstrating the relationship, or non- relationship, among people, things, situations, or ideas. Comparison is an especially important topic because it is the foundation of metaphor. Our human conceptual system is essentially metaphoric. We understand the form and substance of existence by comparing the things of this world to other things.

EXAMPLE: from METAPHORS WE LIVE BY (LAKOFF AND JOHNSON)

PERSONIFICATION

METONYMY SYNECDOCHE reference to someone or something by naming with its attributes a whole represented by parts, or vice versa (species for genus; genus for species)

CAUSE AND EFFECT 1.CORRELATION 2.CAUSALITY 3.CONTRADICTION SPECIFICALLY WELL-SUITED FOR THE FIGURES OF REASONING, OR LOGOS, OR FORMAL LOGIC* * See: “How to construct a logically sound argument” Coming Soon to your local classroom: Toulmin argument, syllogism, enthymeme

CIRCUMSTANCE 1.POSSIBLE 2.IMPOSSIBLE 3.FACT 4.FUTURE PROBABILITY It is possible or impossible? What are the facts (and how do we know them or agree on them)? What might be the facts in the future? Arguments based on the topic of circumstance consider the context of a situation or action.