Writing Arguments

Elements of Argument

Thesis
Body
Counterargument
Organizing
Checklist

Index

Thesis

Body/CSW

Counter

Organizing

Checklist

Writingistheactof
saying...listento
me,seeitmyway,
changeyourmind.
JoanDidion
journalist

To argue:

Take a stand.
Make your case:

present evidence
support it with CSW
(ClaimSupportWarrant)

Acknowledge your opponents view

and counterargue.

Overview

Take a stand

A thesis is a statement that others may

agree or disagree with.

Take a Stand

Fact vs. Thesis

Fact (not arguable):

Hybrid cars use less gasoline than

traditional cars.

Take a Stand

Fact vs. Thesis

Fact (not arguable):

Hybrid cars use less gasoline than traditional
cars.
Thesis (arguable):

The federal government should

encourage the development of alternative
fuels.

Take a Stand

Developing a Thesis

Possible thesis
This paper will describe a V-chip and
examine the uses of the V-chip in
American-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

to 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

Toulmin Arguments: CSW

Claim
Support
Warrant

Index

Thesis

Body/CSW

Counter

Organizing

Checklist

Toulmin Arguments: CSW

CLAIMpoint youre trying to prove

What point is the paper trying to make?

What belief or opinion is the author
defending?

Support

Toulmin Arguments: CSW

SUPPORTevidence for the claim

Why should readers believe the claim?

What proof is given?

Support

Toulmin Arguments: CSW

WARRANTexplains how/why
the evidence proves the point
How are the claim and the evidence
related?
What does this evidence prove?

Support

Example of Toulmin argument

ClaimMcDonalds built a fast-food empire by
delivering the same experience in every store,
whether its in Albuquerque or Akron.
SupportEach job is broken down
into routines. For example,
diagrams show exactly where to
place each pickle on a burger.
Wait! Ive
had
burgers that
Warrant
This
routinization
ensures that
hamburgers
didnt haveare
a pickle
built and
in served
every the
bite!
same way
at all McDonalds franchises.

Example of Toulmin argument

Your readers will also be thinking

of objections.

Good writers anticipate and answer

readers objections.

Counterarguments are one way to meet

objections.

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,
that my senses have revolted.
Thats why I like the TiVo box my father
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.
Consumer: Heaven!!!!
TV exec: Ill sue!

Support

Case Study: Hate Speech Codes

A Pennsylvania school district
banned ''unwelcome verbal, written
or physical conduct which offends,
denigrates or belittles an
individual.''

Support

Case Study: Hate Speech Codes

A Pennsylvania school district
banned ''unwelcome verbal, written
or physical conduct which offends,
denigrates or belittles an individual.
PROS?
CONS?

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 been
challenged, the courts
have criticized
the text of
Back-to-back
quotations
signal and overbroad. Hate
the codes for being vague
lazy writing
speech codes have been
found consistently
unconstitutional by the courts (Black, 1994, p.
13).

Support

Use CSW for argument body

Claim: A hate speech code should not be
adopted because it would not reduce hate.

Huh?

Support: Smether (1993) argues that

stopping people from saying hateful things
does nothing to change hateful attitudes.
Which
means?

Warrant: Paradoxically, hate speech

codes can actually strengthen prejudice
by driving it underground where it escapes challenge .

Support

Find the CSW

C A hate speech code should not be adopted at

MU because it will be struck down by the court

system. In every case where hate speech
codes have been challenged, the courts have
S criticized the text of the codes for being vague
and overbroad. Hate speech codes have been
found consistently unconstitutional by the courts
(Black, 1994, p. 13). Adopting a hate speech
W code that will be thrown out of court is a waste of
time and money.

Support

Supply the C and W

Claim:

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:

Supply the C and W

Claim: Commercials are the best/worst
entertainment on TV.

Supporting Material:

Warrant:

Support

Concede and Counterargue

Establish common ground.

Show awareness of both sides.
Acknowledge and counter the strongest
objection to your arguments.

Index

Thesis

Body/CSW

Counter

Organizing

Checklist

Concede and Counterargue

Why establish common ground?

Counter

Concede and Counterargue

Why establish common ground?
Enhance credibility
Make it easier for readers to listen
by acknowledging their point of view
Remind readers that they share values
with the writer

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

Summarize, then Counter

Glenn Reynolds argues that a heavily

armed citizenry benefits society.
This claim rests on very fragile
evidence, as Prof. Philip J. Cook
and I demonstrated in a 2003 study.
Jens Ludwig

professor of public policy, Georgetown University,

in Letter to the Editor, NY Times

Counter

Yes, butHeres why

Glenn Reynolds argues that a heavily

armed citizenry benefits society.
The evidence [he] cites is selective.
[He] doesnt mention the only wellcontrolled study 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 reality.

Counter

To refute:

Many people believeThe truth is

Some maintain thatThe evidence
does 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
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

Concede what you cant rebut

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

Concede what you cant rebut

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 low-skill jobs. (see St. Martins Guide, p. 360, 10)

Counter

Concede what you cant rebut

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 Strategy 1Example

Thesis: Snowmobiles should be banned in
Yellowstone National Park.
CON It may be hard to imagine that 1,100
snowmobiles a day could cause an air
pollution problem in a park the size of
Connecticut, but they can.
PROThe air pollution at park entrances has
already become so bad that . . . park
rangers have been forced to wear
respirators.

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 Strategy 2Example

PROpollution
PROnoise
ban
PROcost
CONOpponents of a ban argue that a central
mission of the park is to provide access [to all,
not just the physically fit]. Admittedly, winter
access is important, but ordinary people can
enjoy the park by means other than
snowmobiles.

Counter

Words for counterarguments

Language to show youre aware of opposing

opinions
http://www.eslplanet.com/teachertools/argue
web/2bothsds.htm - langsum
Model papers:
http://word-crafter.net/CompII/argument.html

Counter

Organizing an Argument
Weakest

to strongest OR
Strongest to weakest

Index

Thesis

Body/CSW

Counter

Organizing

Checklist

Organizing an Argument
Weakest

to strongest
(if you expect audience to agree)
Strongest to weakest
(if you have to convince audience)

Counter

Adding Counterarguments
Con;

Pro; Pro; Pro

Pro; Pro; Pro; Con
ConPro; ConPro; ConPro

Counter

Adding Other Sections

Introduction
(Background)
Body
Con; Pro; Pro; Pro
Pro; Pro; Pro; Con
ConPro; ConPro; ConPro
(Solution; predictions about future.)
Conclusion

Counter

Specialized Structures

The SetUp/Reject Model

http://atc.bentley.edu/courses/resources/lweinstein/24
-1setupl.
htm

The Comparison Model

http://atc.bentley.edu/courses/resources/lweinstein/2
4-1compare.
htm

Hybrids (combinations)

http://atc.bentley.edu/courses/resources/lweinstein/2
4-1hybrids.htm

Counter

Argument Checklist

Introduction

Body

Is my thesis arguable?
Have I given readers a reason to care?
Have I used Claim-Support-Warrant?
Does my evidence really support my argument?
Do I acknowledge other views and counterargue?

Conclusion

Have I summarized my position and why it matters?

Index

Thesis

Body/CSW

Counter

Organizing

Checklist

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.word-crafter.net/CompII (argument)

Summary