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Chapter 1 Foundations of Arguments

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85 views21 pages

Chapter 1 Foundations of Arguments

Uploaded by

Walaa Alali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 1: Foundations of Arguments

This chapter will cover

• The structure of an argument


• The three parts of an argument:
• Issues
• Conclusions
• Reasons
• An approach to making decisions

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Foundations of Arguments

Metaphors for Argument

• Your claims are indefensible.

• I demolished her argument.

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Foundations of Arguments
• Critical thinkers use the word “argument” to
refer to a “group of statements, one or more of
which, the reason, support or provide evidence
for another, the conclusion”

• An argument aims at demonstrating the truth or


falsity of a particular claim by presenting
evidence (reasons)
• If a person has a conclusion but offers no
reasons to explain how he has arrived at such
a conclusion, then he has made only a
statement, not an argument
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Foundations of Arguments

‘Argument’

• Referring to a conclusion (claim);


• Supported by reasons (premises);
• About a particular issue (question or
controversy)

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The Issue

What we are arguing about

Make it a question:
• Should the attendance be enforced?
• Should energy drinks be regulated?
• Should smoking be banned in public
places?

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Riddle

When is an issue not an issue?

When it is a Topic

• Topics are ideas or subjects


• Topics become issues when a
question or controversy is introduced.

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Issues
Should cell
Do cell phones phones be
have too many allowed at
applications? school?
Cell
Phones
Are cell phones Can cell phones
a danger to our detract from
health? Should cell our safety?
phones be
allowed in the
classrooms

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The Issue

Topic

Issue(question).

Reasons (premises)

Conclusion/claim

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The Issue

Issue detection:

• Ask a question or
• Use the following statement:
The issue is whether……there is
too much violence on tv.

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Skill
Understand the issue, make sure everyone is
discussing the same issue, and bring the
discussion back on target when necessary.

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Kinds of issues

3 Kinds

value issue - prescriptive

factual issue - descriptive or definitional

policy issue - action

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Factual Issue

Descriptive:
Definition
Is it true or false?
Does it fit into a certain
Are speed control category?
devices effective in
preventing accidents? Is a cyber addiction a
disease?

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Value Issue

Prescriptive value

good or bad right or wrong

• Is there too much • Are salaries of executives


violence on television? of major corporations too
high?

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Policy Issue

Action
Policy Issues involve an
action step:

May emerge from facts and values


• Speed –control devices prevent accidents
•Support policies for these devices.

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Name that issue
Quiz
Is there too much violence on television?
•

Are seatbelts effective in preventing injury?


•

Is a dolphin a mammal?
•

Will installing smog control devices prevent pollution?

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Conclusion

Also called position, claim

• The stand you take on the issue.


• The position taken about an issue.
• The thesis statement will express the
conclusion of the author.

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Conclusion

Locate conclusions in an argument:

1. Position of the writer or speaker


2. Look at beginning or ending.
3. Indicator words: therefore, so, thus, hence.
4. Indicator phrases: My point is, What I believe is..,
obviously, it is evident that.
5. Ask: What is being claimed?
6. Look at the title.
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Reasons

Premises, evidence, support, justification

• Provide support for conclusions.


• Without reasons, you have no
argument.

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Reasons

Locate reasons in an argument:

1. Apply the because trick.

2. Indicator words - Because, for, first, second, third, as


evidenced by, also, furthermore, in addition.
3. Support material - Examples, statistics, analogies,
reports of studies, and expert testimony

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Remember

An Opinion is an Unsupported
Claim; An Argument is a
Supported Claim

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Chapter 1: Foundations of Arguments

Checkup

• Difference between topic and issue


• Three parts of an argument
• How to locate reasons and conclusions

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

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