The Structure of Argument: Key Terms

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The Structure of Argument Key Terms Concepts
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Argument

• Debate
• Dialogue
• Discourse
• Dialectic Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis

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Truth and Establishment Truth
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Why Study Argument?
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Claims

• Fact
• Value
• Policy

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Claims of Fact

• Condition has existed, exists, or will exit based
  on objectively verifiable facts and data
• Whenever the number of illegal aliens increases,
  the crime rate also increases.
• Secondhand smoke is deadly.

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Claims of Value

• Some things are more or less desirable than
  others. Approval or disapproval of standards of
  taste and morality
• Tom Hanks is a more versatile actor than
• Tom Cruise.
• Having sex before marriage is wrong.
• Smokers do not care about themselves or others.

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Claims of Policy

• Policy SHOULD, MUST, or OUGHT be instituted as
  solution to problem
• Both intelligent design evolutionary theory
  should be taught in public schools.
• Smoking ought to be illegal in public.

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Support

• Evidence (logos)
• Motivational Appeals (ethos pathos)

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Motivational Appeals ethical, emotional

• Pathos Appeals to emotions
• Ethos Appeals to values, or appeals based on
  ethos of arguer (creditability)

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Evidence / Logical Appeals

• Argue from
• 1. consequences
• 2. comparisons
• 3. authority testimony
• 4. examples statistics

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The Warrant

• Assumption or inference.
• Belief or principle taken for granted (make
  connection between the support and the claim).
• Stated or unstated.

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What is the warrant?

• You should buy a Nissan Sentra because it is
  economical.
• You should buy a Volvo because they are safe.
• You should buy a red Hummer.

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Audience

• Why?
• How much do they know?
• Are they divided or agreed?
• What is their emotional involvement?

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Strategies for Comprehending Arguments

• Understand audience/context/purpose
• Make your own 0utline (look at topic Sentences /
  paragraphs / use of repetition )
• Determine CENTRAL CLAIM (major claim,
  conclusionthesis)
• Research allusions
• Evaluate Strengths / weaknesses of appeals
• Describe diction / style

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Your Next Assignmentfor Tuesday 2/9

• Research the context (reason) for Richard Nixons
  Checkers Speech and Barack Obamas Speech on
  Race. Summarize at the top of each speech.
• Read and study these two speeches, carefully
  marking the authors appeals to reasoning
  (logos), emotion (pathos), and how they
  develop/establish credibility (ethos). Determine
  which appeals are successful and which ones are
  not (or just plain confusing!).
• Quiz Use of persuasive appeals in Nixons and
  Obamas speeches.