Writing the Argumentative Essay

By Caryl Bishop

Argumentation

. . . the art of influencing others, through the medium of reasoned discourse, to believe or act as we wish them to believe or act.

Structure of Argument

Claim
Proposition

Support
Evidence Motivational Appeals

Warrant
Assumption(s) that have been taken for granted

Features of Argumentation

Writer
Develop your own ETHOS or borrow from established authority

Audience
Know your audience and be sensitive to their views

Text
Use the language to make your point, but be careful not to misuse language

The Writer

Ethos
Your own
You

must look like you know what youre talking about Educate yourself on the issue(s) before writing

Borrow from authority

Be

sure to give appropriate credit where due

The Audience

Who is your audience? Qualities you should presume of your audience:

Assume they are as knowledgeable about your topic as you are. Assume they are aware of common knowledge. Assume they could be fundamentally opposed to your argument and be sensitive to their prejudices

Dont Alienate Your Audience

The Text

Argue from logic and reason

Do NOT base your entire argument on:
Emotion Religious Conviction Tradition

Avoid fallacious logic

There are a multitude of formal errors in logic, known as FALLACIES

Some Common Fallacies

Hasty Generalization Faulty Use of Authority Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc False Analogy Ad Hominem False Dilemma Slippery Slope

Hasty Generalization

Black or White thinking Prejudice Drawing Hasty Conclusions Insufficient Evidence

Faulty Use of Authority

Misuse of a source Misquoting Fitting the quotation to your own needs

If four out of five dentists prefer Colgate, dont use the one dentist who prefers Crest as your authority!

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

After this, therefore because of this

Faulty Cause and Effect Reasoning

False Analogy

Faulty Connection Between Two Things Being Compared

Ad Hominem

Against the Man Attacking the person rather than attacking an issue.
If you dont like this administrations policies, and want to see them changed, dont attack the President, address the issues you want changed.

False Dilemma

Black or White Fallacy

There are only two alternatives, no room for compromise and no grey areas.
Nearly every issue has at least two sides, and somewhere, someone has determined that the OTHER side is the only legitimate approach. Nothing is black and white; there are shades of grey everywhere!

Slippery Slope
The assumption that A will inevitably lead to B
Then B will inevitably lead to C
And so on
And so on

More Common Fallacies

Begging the Question The Straw Man Fallacy Two Wrongs Make a Right Non-Sequitur Ad Populum Appeal to Tradition Faulty Emotional Appeal

Begging the Question

The statement being argued actually assumes the issue has already been proven true. An argument that assumes itself

Straw Man Fallacy

Set up a slightly different problem and attack it, rather than the problem at issue
Diverts attention away from the real issue

Wag the Dog

Two Wrongs Make A Right

But all my friends are doing it

Diverts attention away from the question at issue

Non-Sequitur

It does not follow

Erroneous Cause and Effect Reasoning Uses irrelevant information to back of a claim

Ad Populum

Appeals to the prejudices of the people Appeals to popular opinion Appeals to what you believe your teacher wants to hear

Appeal to Tradition

But weve always done it that way before

Just because it has always been that way doesnt make it right

Faulty Emotional Appeals

Dont base your whole claim on an appeal to emotion Dont use emotional appeals that are
Irrelevant to the argument Draw attention away from the real issue Appear to conceal another purpose

Adapted from:

Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader

By: Annette T. Rottengberg