Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Elements of Argument
Index
Thesis
Body/CSW
Counter
Organizing
Checklist
Writing is the act of saying . . . listen to me, see it my way, change your mind.
Joan Didion journalist
To argue:
Overview
Take a stand
Take a Stand
Take a Stand
Hybrid cars use less gasoline than traditional cars. Thesis (arguable):
Take a Stand
Developing a Thesis
Possible thesis This paper will describe a V-chip and Vexamine the uses of the V-chip in VAmericanAmerican-made television sets. Your reaction?
Yawn.
Why should I read this? Take a Stand
Developing a Thesis
Parents, often too busy to watch
television with their families, can use the V-chip Vto monitor their childrens viewing habits.
Hmm.
And this matters because.?
Take a Stand
Developing a Thesis
The most important feature of the family television is not the big screen or the remote control: it is the V-chip, which helps parents monitor what their children watch. So thats what youre trying to proveand it matters because it protects children.
Take a Stand
Index
Thesis
Body/CSW
Counter
Organizing
Checklist
What point is the paper trying to make? What belief or opinion is the author defending?
Support
Support
Support
Your readers will also be thinking of objections. Good writers anticipate and answer readers objections. Counterarguments are one way to meet objections.
Warrant WarrantThis routinization ensures that hamburgers are built and served the same way at all McDonalds franchises. Not in my experience!
Why a warrant?
Evidence doesnt speak for itself.
Support
Why a warrant?
The same fact may be given two different interpretations: McDonalds jobs are broken down into standardized routines. Jim: Boring!!!! Dwight: Clear path to advancement
Support
TiVO: yes!
For the last fifteen years, television and radio advertising has become so overblown, so in-your-face, and so LOUD, in-yourthat my senses have revolted. Thats why I like the TiVo box my father has hasI can watch and record my favorite shows and zap through the commercials. Heaven.
Brian Evankovich Magic City Morning Star
Support
TiVO: no!
. Turner Broadcasting CEO Jaime Kellner . . . said it best: Your contract with the network when you get the show is youre going to watch the spots. Any time you skip a commercial, youre actually stealing the programming.
Brian Evankovich Magic City Morning Star
Support
TiVO example
TiVO allows viewers to skip commercials. commercials. Consumer: Heaven!!!! TV exec: Ill sue!
Support
Support
Support
What to avoid
Hate speech codes can prohibit the expression
of hate speech but they can not change the attitudes that lead to that expression. The effect is to send hate underground where it is less likely to be challenged (Smethers, 1993, p 19). In every case where hate speech codes have Back-toBack-to- have been challenged, the courtsback criticized the quotations signal text of the codes forlazy writing and overbroad. being vague Hate speech codes have been found consistently unconstitutional by the courts (Black, 1994, p. 13).
Support
Support: Smether (1993) argues that stopping people from saying hateful things does nothing to change hateful attitudes. Warrant: Paradoxically, hate speech codes can actually strengthen prejudice by driving it underground where it escapes challenge.
Which means?
Support
Supporting Material: The music industry slapped [Princeton student Daniel Peng] with a lawsuit seeking potentially billions of dollars in damages for distributing copyrighted works. His site was shut down and his life thrown into chaos. Warrant:
Support
Establish common ground. Show awareness of both sides. Acknowledge and counter the strongest objection to your arguments.
Index
Thesis
Body/CSW
Counter
Organizing
Checklist
Counter
Counter
Counterargument in Action
Son: I dont need a helmet when skateboarding. PU: OK, if you write a paper proving its safe. Evidence favors the Parental Unit: 50,000 skateboarders visit ER each year 1,500 have serious, even fatal head injuries Most seriously injured werent wearing helmets
Counter
Glenn Reynolds argues that a heavily armed citizenry benefits society. This claim rests on very fragile evidence, evidence, as Prof. Philip J. Cookand I demonstrated in a 2003 study.
Jens Ludwig
professor of public policy, Georgetown University, in Letter to the Editor, NY Times
Counter
Glenn Reynolds argues that a heavily armed citizenry benefits society. The evidence [he] cites is selective. selective. [He] doesnt mention the only well-controlled wellstudy linking firearm prevalence to burglary, which found that counties with higher rates of household gun ownership have higher, not lower, burglary rates. Matthew Miller
deputy director, Harvard Injury Control Research Center
Counter
To rebut or refute:
Prove that opponents logic is faulty Show that their evidence doesnt really prove the claim Attack the warrant
Counter
To refute:
It has been argued that children who attend daycare at an early age miss out on important early learning that occurs in parent-child interactions. In parentreality.
Counter
To refute:
Many people believeThe truth is believe is Some maintain thatThe evidence does that not support this claim.
Counter
To refute:
Dr. Evans, who claimed to be a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a member of the AMA, has not been a Fellow of ACEP since 1984. His last year of membership in AMA was in 199010 years before his 1990 testimony. testimony.
Counter
To refute:
A 2002 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that chocolate had health benefits, like antioxidants and flavinoids. The study had only 23 subjects. Funding came from the American Cocoa Research Institute.
Counter
To refute:
Fruits are a better source of antioxidants. Unfortunately for chocolate lovers, chocolates high content of stearic acid puts it in the same category of risk of coronary disease as milk and butter. Chocolate is a terrific food, but it isnt a health food. Dr. Jay Cohen
Counter
A 1980 study by A. V. Harrell and P. W. Wirtz found that, among those students who worked at least 25 hours per week while in school, their unemployment rate four years later was half that of those who did not work.
Counter
A 1980 study by A. V. Harrell and P. W. Wirtz found that, among those students who worked at least 25 hours per week while in school, their unemployment rate four years later was half that of those who did not work. This is an impressive statistic. It must be seen, though, together with the finding that many . . . drop out and are gobbled up in the world of lowlowskill jobs. (see St. Martins Guide, p. 360, 10) Martin s
Counter
Ernest Evans (2005) concedes that terroristic violence is so horrible that people tend to instinctively believe that terrorists are both sociopathic and irrational (p. 1). However, he believes that most terrorists are rational people with tactical goals.
Counter
Why counterargue?
Conceding that an opposing point is valid and then building upon it to further one's own claim allows a writer to make the audience feel appreciated without giving up her or his own position.
Terms in a Toulmin Argument http://www.winthrop.edu/wcenter/wcenter/toulmin.htm
Counter
Where do I counterargue?
You may choose to build each of your main points as a contrast to oppositional claims. offer a counterargument after you have articulated your main claims.
Organizing Your Argument Purdue University Writing Lab
Index
Thesis
Body/CSW
Counter
Organizing
Checklist
Counter Strategy 1
Introduction CON PROfirst argument CON PROsecond argument CON PROthird argument Conclusion Counter
Counter
Counter Strategy 2
PRO: Snowmobiles pollute. PRO: Snowmobiles are noisy. PRO: Snowmobiles are costly to police and park funds are limited. CON: Opponents of a ban say. . . but
Counter
Counter
Language to show youre aware of opposing opinions http://www.eslplanet.com/teachertools/arguew eb/2bothsds.htm - langsum Model papers: http://word-crafter.net/CompII/argument.html http://word-
Counter
Organizing an Argument
to strongest OR Strongest to weakest
Weakest
Index
Thesis
Body/CSW
Counter
Organizing
Checklist
Organizing an Argument
to strongest (if you expect audience to agree) Strongest to weakest (if you have to convince audience)
Weakest
Counter
Adding Counterarguments
Pro; Pro; Pro Pro; Pro; Pro; Con ConPro; ConPro; ConPro Con Con Con
Con;
Counter
Counter
Specialized Structures
Hybrids (combinations)
http://atc.bentley.edu/courses/resources/ lweinstein/24-1hybrids.htm
Counter
Argument Checklist
Introduction
Is my thesis arguable? Have I given readers a reason to care? Have I used Claim-Support-Warrant? Claim-SupportDoes my evidence really support my argument? Do I acknowledge other views and counterargue? Have I summarized my position and why it matters?
Thesis Body/CSW Counter Organizing Checklist
Body
Conclusion
Index
Summary
Further Resources
Chapter 11 (thesis statement & blueprint) Chapter 23 (supporting evidence) infotrac.thomsonlearning.com/ infowrite/critical.html (fallacies) bedfordstmartins.com/ online/cite6.html (integrating quotations) www.wordwww.word-crafter.net/CompII (argument)
Summary