Argument Walkaway Study Guide - Mrs. Hendrickson's English



Argument Walkaway Study Guide

Rhetoric: The art of persuasion

There are three persuasive techniques . . .

❖ Logos: using logic (statistics, facts, scientific reasoning, etc.) to persuade

❖ Pathos: using emotion (personal feelings, stories, sympathy, etc.) to persuade

❖ Ethos: using credibility (expert opinions, famous sponsors, trustworthy source) or a sense of right or wrong to persuade.

Argument Vocabulary

❖ Claim: The opinion, position, or viewpoint being argued.

o Ex. School uniforms are needed in middle schools.

The legal driving age should be 18.

Cats make better pets than dogs.

❖ Counter-Claim: The opposite side of your opinion, position, or point of view.

o Ex. School uniforms are NOT needed in middle schools.

The legal driving age should NOT be 18.

Cats do NOT make better pets than dogs.

❖ Warrants: The reasons for taking the position you have taken. Why do you think that way? (you should have at least 3 warrants in any argumentative essay)

o Ex. Students should not have to go to school on Saturday (Claim) because they need

rest (Warrant 1), some students have jobs (Warrant 2), and family time is important (Warrant 3).

❖ Evidence: The facts, examples, data, or stories you use to support the WARRANTS. There are several different types of evidence, including expert opinion, statistics, facts, and personal stories/experiences.

o Ex. Students should not have to go to school on Saturday (Claim) because they need

rest (Warrant 1). A study by Blakenship in 2013 shows that 70% of teenagers are sleep-deprived (Evidence A). Blakenship points out that this sleep deprivation is due to many factors, such as late nights playing video games or insomnia. Many teens use the weekend to catch up on sleep that they do not get during the school week. If we required students to go to school on Saturday, then students would become even more sleep deprived. Another reasons students should not have to go to school on Saturdays is that students need emotional rest, as well as physical rest (Evidence B). School can be both mentally and emotionally exhausting. The traditional weekend is a time to recharge mentally and emotionally by participating in other activities that are not related to school, such as church, family time, and friends. Requiring students to attend school on Saturday will reduce the amount of time students have to pursue other activities that make them more well-rounded individuals.

Logical Fallacies

Logical fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either badly formed arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim. Avoid these common fallacies in your own arguments and watch for them in the arguments of others.

There are four different logical fallacies you need to know . . .

❖ Circular Argument: Restating the argument or claim rather than actually proving it.

o Example: “George Bush is a good communicator because he speaks effectively.”

▪ In this example, the conclusion that Bush is a “good communicator” and the evidence used to prove it (“he speaks effectively”) are basically the same idea. Specific evidence such as using everyday language, breaking down complex problems, or illustrating his points with humorous stories would be needed to prove either half of the sentence.

❖ Straw Man: Oversimplifying or misrepresenting another person’s argument in order to more easily attack it.

o Example: “People who don’t support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor.”

▪ In this example, the author greatly oversimplifies someone’s position on minimum wage increase and focuses on the worst possible motive to an opponent’s position. In reality, however, the opposition probably has more complex and sympathetic arguments to support their point. By not addressing those arguments, the author is not treating the opposition with respect or refuting their position.

❖ Bandwagon: Assuming that because “everyone” supposedly thinks or does something, it must be right or true.

o Example: “Everyone thinks undocumented aliens ought to be kicked out of America!”

▪ In this example, the author gives the impression that it is a very popular idea to remove with everyone in the country to remove illegal immigrants.

▪ Sometimes also includes lying with statistics. Ex. “Surveys show that over 75% of Americans believe Senator Snith is not telling the truth. For anyone with half a brain, that conclusively proves he’s a dirty liar!”

❖ Non Sequitur: Giving evidence or reasoning that is unrelated to the argument at hand. In Latin, “Non Sequitur” means “it does not follow.”

o Example: “The reason I flunked your course is because the government is now putting out purple five-dollar bills!”

▪ In this example, the author makes no connection between failing a course and the government changing the look of money because there is not connection. The author is simply trying to distract from his/her failure by brining up something unrelated.

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