Transcript ARGUMENT AND PERSUASION

ARGUMENT AND
PERSUASION
Definitions
Argue—defend a side of an
issue; give reasons for and
against a claim
Persuade—convince someone
to accept a viewpoint or take
action
Elements/goals
of persuasion
 Claim = opinion
 Support = evidence
 Counterarguments = opposing
points of view
 Focus topic/claim with a thesis
 Don’t offend readers
Persuasive appeals
 3 basic appeals used in argument and
persuasion
 Emotion—anger, joy, fear, injustice, etc.
 Ethics
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right vs. wrong
writer credibility
building common ground with reader
Persuasive appeals
 Logic
 makes
sense
 attempt to present claim as
reasonable and true
 facts, statistics, etc.
ABC Test (from RCWW)
 Appropriate
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Evidence is relevant to claim
Sources are appropriate for topic
 Believable
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Facts/assertions are true
Consider beliefs that readers share
Sources are credible through experience or
authority
ABC Test
 Consistent and
 Complete
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Ideas do not contradict each other
Writer is willing to stand by claim
Support is thorough
Tips for persuasive writing
 Avoid “I think” phrases—solid, outright
statements are better
 Don’t overuse emotional appeals
 Use counterarguments fairly and accurately
 Select words that make full use of appeals
 Establish your credibility—experience or
interest you have in the topic. Why do you
care, and why should readers listen to you?
Toulmin logic
Claim = opinion
Reason = support
Warrant = justifies the claim,
connects reason to claim
Toulmin Poison Ivy Example:
 Claim = Don’t touch that plant!
 Reason = That plant is poison ivy.
 Warrant = Poison ivy causes skin
irritation, so the plant shouldn’t be
touched.
Toulmin example
 Claim = We should restrict the use of
cell phones in moving vehicles.
 Reason = Scientific studies reveal an
increased rate of accidents among
drivers who use cell phones while
driving.
 Warrant = Scientific studies that reveal
risks should be considered for making
restrictions.
Induction
 Induction—specific to general (used
to draw a general conclusion after
considering specific cases or
evidence)
 See triangle as visual representation:
Specific : A driver talking on a cell phone nearly
ran into my car. (specific case)
General: Drivers (in general) should not be
allowed to be on cell phones.
Deduction
 Deduction—general to specific (used to draw
a specific conclusion after considering
general cases or evidence)
General: Drivers (in general) who use cell
phones are at greater risk for accidents.
Specific: I (specific person) will not use
my cell phone when I am driving.
Syllogisms
Used in deductive reasoning
Requires:
Major
premise (general)
Minor premise (link, example)
Conclusion (specific)
Syllogism example #1
All dinosaurs are now extinct.
The T rex was a dinosaur.
The T rex is now extinct.
 Using premises
 All dinosaurs are now extinct. (major)
 The T rex was a dinosaur. (minor)
 The T rex is now extinct. (conclusion)
Syllogisms
If A = B
and B = C
then A = C
 A = B…
A
B
 All dinosaurs are now extinct.
C
A
 The T rex was a dinosaur.
C
B
 The T rex is now extinct.
Syllogism example #2
 GM makes reliable cars.
 The Grand Prix is a GM car.
 The Grand Prix is reliable.
Faulty logic in a syllogism
 All dinosaurs are now extinct.
 The passenger pigeon is extinct.
 The passenger pigeon was a dinosaur.
(pigeon is not a dinosaur; it’s a bird)
***********************
 GM makes reliable cars.
 The Prius is a reliable car.
 The Prius is a GM
(Prius is not a GM; it’s a Toyota)
Is this a strong or weak argument?
An 18-year-old can fight for the
U.S.
An 18-year-old is old enough to
legally drink alcohol.
Is this a strong or weak argument?
No clear support
Where is the minor premise or
warrant to link these ideas?
Where do you draw the line?
The claim itself isn’t the
problem—the lack of minor
premise or warrant is.
What is the logical flaw here?
 “We trust 16-year-old students to drive a
4,000 pound vehicle on the highway,
but not to eat a Snickers? They can join
the Army and handle an M-16, but they
can’t handle a pack of Skittles?”
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~Arizona state Senator Dean Martin, on
lawmakers’ efforts to ban junk food from high
school vending machines.
Quoted in Newsweek, Oct. 10, 2005