An Argument

Identify claims, reasons, evidence, as well as any refutations/concessions/critiques/reservations/etc. that

might lead to acknowledgements and responses.

1. What makes a good claim?

- It acknowledges limiting conditions and hedges
o Hedging = “we believe that…”, “it is my conviction that…”, “I think…” – being more
honest and forthright with how you present information
o Acknowledging limiting conditions = “eating disorders tend to/often arise from
projections of body image in the media”
2. Reasons must be relevant
o Ex. It is raining bcs I am hungry X It is raining bcs of the climate change
3. Types of evidence:
o Factual – I am hungry bcs I did not eat. The human body needs calories to function.
o Statictical
o Logical
o Anecdotal
 We can evaluate evidence based on the following factors:
 Representativeness
 Reliability
 Accuracy & precision – how well you relay the information
 Sufficiency
4. Acknowledgments: intrinsic soundness & alternatives
o intrinsic soundness = logical fallacies, strength of the claim, relevance of the reason
o unconsidered evidence, alternative ways of framing the problem
o unconsidered warrants
5. warrants connect your reasons to your claims