The art of

argumentation
By John Peterson
Cherokee High School Debate
01 02 03
Claim- This is a simple Warrant- This is Impact- This is why your
statement, like something that supports argument matters, like
Cherokee should have a your statement, like People expressing
less strict dress code. Having a less strict artistically themselves
dress code will support will lead to a more
free artistic expression. creative school.

Structure of arguments
Another important factor of arguments are the 3 pillars
of rhetoric.
Ethos- The Ethics/credibility of the argument and the
speaker. Is the speaker credible? Are the sources that
the speaker cites credible? The 3 pillars
Logos- The Logic of the argument. Does the argument
make sense? Is there a logical fallacy? (this will be
of rhetoric
explained in the next slide)
Pathos- The Passion/emotion of the argument. Does
the argument appeal to the audiences feelings?
Watch out for fallacious arguments. Some of the most
common are:
Tu quoque: Avoiding engagement with criticism by
turning it back on the accuser - you answered

criticism with criticism.

Personal incredulity: Making an argument sound
Logical
untrue because you find it difficult to understand or
youre unaware of how it works.
fallacies
Burden of proof: Stating that you do not have to prove
a claim because the burden to disprove your
argument.
 Debate formats like Lincoln-
Douglas debate, named after the
1958 presidential debates of
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen
Douglas, deal with debate over
philosophical values like justice,
Debating morality, and fairness.

values
When youre debating values, its
important to focus on the
underlying metaphysical meaning
of the value at hand.