Developing a Convincing Argument



Raising Counterarguments

in your Causal Argument

Elements of an Effective Argument

The goal of an argumentative essay is to convince the reader that your position on an issue is valid and that she should agree with your point. In order to do so, you must convince the reader that your conclusion is an informed one based on biographical facts, textual evidence, thorough analysis, and, possibly, support from authorities in the field. In other words, you must have reasons and evidence for why you believe what you do. Additionally, you must show that you have carefully considered all aspects of the argument; you must show that you have examined the issue from the opposition’s point of view and still believe the thesis that you assert.

Including Counterarguments in your Argumentative Essay

• Understanding the Difference Between Claims and Counterarguments – A claim (or pro) is an argument that SUPPORTS what you are saying in the thesis. The counterargument (or con) goes AGAINST your thesis. You must include counterarguments in your paper to show that you’ve considered the subject from all angles and have come to the conclusion that the ideas put forth in your thesis are the best. In this paper, your counterarguments will be alternative causes for your writer’s style.

• Writing the Counterargument Paragraphs – Counterargument paragraphs tend to be particularly troublesome for students because although they must still include evidence, they shouldn’t be as convincing as the claim paragraphs that support your thesis. There are several techniques that you can use to signal the reader that this is NOT the side with which you agree.

o Careful word choice. Using phrases such as “critics claim” or “some students believe” are less persuasive (which is the goal when writing a counterargument paragraph) than “research proves” or “experts in the field point out.”

o Direct refutations. When you present a counterargument, you need to point out what is WRONG with that point of view. Look for weaknesses in the claim and evidence that goes against what the opposition claims.

o Minimization of opposition. Sometimes you won’t find evidence to directly refute the opposition. In that case, you may want to concede that point but make efforts to minimize its importance. For example, in an essay on Thomas De Quincey that argues for the importance of Coleridge and Wordsworth on his style, you may concede that his poverty may also have influenced his style too since he needed to earn a living. However, you might then point out that De Quincey’s poverty did not lead to his idolization of the Romantic poets, nor did it change his style of writing. Be careful, however, to maintain a professional tone with the counterarguments. Although you disagree with them, you still want to show that you respect and understand that point of view. By doing this you avoid alienating your readers.

• Organizing your claims/counterarguments – There isn’t a formula for the order of your body paragraphs. There are, however, some general guidelines.

o Use a CoCoClCl setup (counter, counter, claim, claim) if your counterarguments are not directly related to your claims. By dismissing the critics early on, you can keep the reader focused on your main point.

o Use a CoClCoClCl (counter, claim, counter, claim, claim) organization when you have claims that directly refute the counterarguments.

o Your strongest claim can either be the first or last one presented depending on how it relates to the counterarguments.

o End with a claim since that is what will stick in the reader’s mind.

Activities

• Thinking Through the Claims and Counterarguments of your Argument

1. Write your thesis at the top of a piece of paper. Create two columns beneath the thesis. On one side list the arguments that support your point (claims). On the other list the arguments against your point (counterarguments).

2. Create a dialogue between two fictional people discussing the issue. One person should embody the pro side and one should embody the con side. Have each character make points and raise questions.

• Examining a Student’s Draft and Suggesting Revisions

Directions: Read the sample student thesis and counterarguments paragraph. What does this author do well? What problems do you notice? What suggestions do you have for this author when she revises?

Sample A. Student Thesis: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s style of writing, which is exceptionally detailed and characterized by a rhythmic syntax and shifts in both tone and diction, is a reflection of both the events in his life as well as the people who influenced him throughout the years.

Sample A. Student Counterargument Paragraph for Above Thesis:

Some might say that Emerson’s inconsistency and disorganized thought process are reflections of transcendentalism, a movement that he was very much a part of. This could very well be true for it is said that transcendentalists never had truly organized body of thoughts (Critical Essays 2009). However, it is also said that transcendental principles emphasized the importance of establishing religion and philosophy, not by sensory experiences but by mental and spiritual essence (Gura 2007). It is known by now that Emerson’s mental essence was seriously disturbed by death. Robert D. Richardson even proclaims “However serene and self-sure he may have seemed to others, Emerson’s own feelings varied widely and changed quickly” (Richardson 267). Emerson was not a stable person, especially when it came to religion. The entire religious aspect of his life changed because he felt depressed over the loss of his wife. Had he been stable in spirit and mind, his depression wouldn’t have carried on and wouldn’t have caused such a drastic change in his life, especially in faith. Therefore, the death of his wife and his natural tendency to change his mind is a much more valid cause of the disorganized thoughts in his writing, not his transcendental beliefs.

Directions: Read the second sample student thesis and counterargument paragraph below. What does this author do well? What problems do you notice? What suggestions do you have for this author when she revises?

Sample B. Student Thesis: Woolf’s tragic past and mental imbalance is the cause of her complex and personal stream-of-consciousness, metaphorical writing style.

Sample B. Student Counterargument Paragraph for Above Thesis:

There are those who claim that it was not the deaths of her family members, but sexual abuse at the hands of her brothers that most significantly influenced Woolf’s writing style and led to her mental instability. Saying so, however, would be almost unrelated because, although the abuse did indeed occur, there was no apparent reaction to or affect on her work. Also, it is clearly evident that Woolf’s traumatic breakdowns began after the death of her mother, whereas the sexual abuse began later. After the death of her father, Woolf and her remaining family moved out of their parents’ house, leaving the Duckworths, their half-brothers, and moved to Bloomsbury. Woolf kept minimal contact with both, but only communicated with Gerald Duckworth when she was in need of publishing (Nicholson 18). The sexual abuse was evidently not the cause of her mental breakdowns because each of the breakdowns happened after one of her family members died or, at times, started out with acute headaches. The abuse suffered by Woolf was unfortunate, yet it was irrelevant towards her writing.

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