1. Argument Synthesis
Ch. 4

2. Warm Up Get into groups of three of four
In your groups, make a claim based on one of the following:
“__________ is the best day of the week.”
“__________ are the best pets.”
“__________ is the most successful pop star.”
“Veganism is/not the healthiest way to live.”
“__________ is the most practical car to own.”

3. What is an argument synthesis?
An attempt to persuade a reader or listener that a particular and debatable claim is true.
For example: answering the question “why do soldiers sometimes commit atrocities in wartime?” would involve making an argument.
An explanatory synthesis
Emphasizes the sources themselves, not the writer’s use of the sources to persuade others
The purpose is to inform, not persuade
For example:
“Cell phones make it possible for us to be always within reach, though many people would prefer not to be always within reach.”

4. What is an argument synthesis? Cont.
An argument thesis, however, is persuasive in purpose.
For example:
“Cell phones have ruined our ability to be isolated, to be willfully out of touch with the rest of the world.”
The thesis for an argument synthesis is a claim about which reasonable people could disagree. It is a claim with which your audience might be persuaded to agree.
The strategy then is to find and use convincing support for your claim.

5. In your groups:
Come up with three pieces of supportive evidence to support the claims your groups came up with.

6. The elements of arguments
Claim
Ex: “High school students should be restricted to no more than two hours of TV viewing per day.”
Support
Ex: “An important new study and the testimony of educational specialists reveal that students who watch more than two hours of TV a night have, on average, lower grades than those who watch less TV.”
Assumption
Ex: “Excessive TV viewing adversely affects academic performance.”

7. The three appeals of argument
Logos
The rational appeal, the appeal to reason
Deductive reasoning
Argument begins with a generalization, then cites a specific case related to that generalization from which follows a conclusion
Inductive reasoning
Begins with several pieces of specific evidence, then draws a conclusion from this evidence
Ethos
The ethical appeal, based on the ethical status of the person making the argument. In other words, the person’s credibility
Pathos
Appeal to emotions

8. In your groups:
Argue your claim using one of the argumentative appeals

9. Consider your purpose
What exactly do you want to do with your argument?
Convince your audience that they should believe something?
Change your audience’s attitude about something?
Call your audience to action?
This will affect your claim and how you organize the evidence

10. Making a claim: formulate a thesis
A claim is a proposition, a conclusion you have made, that you are trying to prove or demonstrate
Counterarguments
An argument opposing your own in which you demonstrate weaknesses, and, in the process, strengthen your own claim

11. Practice Please read the model argument synthesis on pg. 140
Look for the different appeals of argument
After reading, try to identify what the author’s purpose is.

12. Developing and organizing the support for your arguments
Writers categorize support into two broad terms:
Evidence
Facts, statistics, expert testimony, appeals to reason
Motivational appeals
Grounded in emotion
Summarize, paraphrase, and quote supporting evidence
Provide various types of evidence and motivational appeals
Ex: combination of facts and expert testimony
Use climactic order
Save the most important for last!

13. Developing and organizing the support for your arguments
Use logical or conventional order
Problem/solution
Sides of a controversy
Comparison-and-contrast
Present and respond to counterarguments
Introduction and claim
Main opposing argument
Refutation of opposing argument
Main positive argument
Use concession
Avoid fallacies

14. In sum … Summarize, paraphrase, and quote supporting evidence
Provide various types of evidence and motivational appeal
Use climactic order
Use logical or conventional order
Present and respond to counterarguments
Use concession