Toulmin’s Model of Argument

6 Parts Data/ Evidence  The facts or evidence used to prove the argument Claim  The statement being argued (a thesis) Warrants  The general, hypothetical (and often implicit) logical statements that serve as bridges between the claim and the data. Qualifiers  Statements that limit the strength of the argument or statements that propose the conditions under which the argument is true. Rebuttals  Counter-arguments or statements indicating circumstances when the general argument does not hold true. Backing  Statements that serve to support the warrants (i.e., arguments that don't necessarily prove the main point being argued, but which do prove the warrants are true.)

Claims A claim is simply a single fact that you must argue to prove. Your thesis acts as your main claim.  All body paragraphs will make smaller claims that tie into and support the thesis.  Example  Thesis: Antony is Caesar’s right hand man, and avenging his friend’s death is more important to him than his own life. Supporting claims: 1. During Caesar’s life, Antony is always at his side; 2. Antony is grief stricken at seeing Caesar dead; 3. Antony puts himself in great danger to restore Caesar’s good name

Types of Claim Remember, there are four basic types:  Claims of fact or definition:  Argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Ex. Brutus is not honorable, but is actually an evil character because he kills his friend.  Claims of cause and effect:  Argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Ex. Cassius may have incited all the violence, but he only did so because Caesar had seriously wronged him.  Claims about value:  Claims made about what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Ex. Portia is one of the most important characters in the play because she affects the men’s actions from behind the scenes.  Claims about solutions or policies:  Claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Ex. Antony’s solution to the overthrow of Caesar was the best possible solution because it saved many lives.

Data / Evidence Evidence supports the claim and shows it to be correct. May include the following:  Quotes  Statistics (or other mathematical data)  Physical evidence  This could include characters’ actions  Reasoning

Warrant Bridge that connects the evidence to the claim  Example:  Claim: Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution.  Data1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity.  Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of private air pollution, switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution.

Modes of persuasion Ethos  Appeal to the authority or honesty of the presenter  We tend to believe people we respect Pathos  Appeal to the audience’s emotions  Evocative language, a passionate delivery, etc. Logos  Logical appeal (or the simulation of it)  Tied to facts and reasoning Which modes were used in the funeral speeches? Which might be most useful in an essay? Wikipedia.org