Lecture no.

6:
Developing an
Argument
A

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B
C

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 Answer:
ALL OF THE
ABOVE!
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ARGUMENT
× a reason or set of reasons given
with the aim of persuading
others that an action or idea is
right or wrong.
 When you develop your argument, you are confirming
your own position and building your case.
 Use empirical evidence, such as facts and statistics to
support your claims.
 Appeal to your audience’s rational and logical thinking.
Argue using your evidence and research.
 Your list of strengths and weaknesses can help you
develop your argument.
 The success of your argument depends on your skill in
convincing your reader through sound reasoning,
persuasion, and evidence.

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 Reason
 Ethics
 Emotions
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 Thinking, understanding, and
forming judgments by a
process of logic.

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 The branch of knowledge that
deals with moral principles.
 An appeal to what is morally
right and appropriate.

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 The speaker uses careful words to
arouse the appropriate and expected
emotions from the listeners.
 However, the speaker must also be
careful not to let his emotions cloud his
judgment and logic.

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• The CLAIM: “What do I think?”
• The REASONS: “Why do I
think so?”
• The EVIDENCE: “How do I
know this is the case?”
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Organizing an Opening
Argument:

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Organizing an Opening Argument:
1. Introduction: Give the context and background of
your issue. Establish the style, tone, and significance
of your issue.
2. State Your Case: Clarify your issue here. Give any
necessary background for understanding the issues.
Define important terms or conditions here.
3. Proposition: State your central proposition. Be sure
that your hook presents an issue that is open to
debate. Present the subtopics or supportive points to
forecast your argument for your reader.
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Organizing an Opening Argument:
4. Substantiation and Proof: Present and develop your
own case. Carefully plan your disclosure; avoid
logical fallacies. Rely primarily on reasoning for your
appeal and use emotional appeals carefully.
5. Conclusion: Conclude with conviction. Review your
main points and state your claims strongly. Make a
strong plea for action, or invite your readers to refute
your argument.

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Example:
Good morning, we are from team Dauntless, and we say NO to
Pre-Marital Sex.
Pre-marital sex is sexual activity practiced by people before
they are married. It was considered a moral issue which was
taboo in many cultures and considered a sin by a number of
religions, but has become acceptable in some cultures over
time.
I believe this should not be okay for us because it is an action
that causes one's emotional, social, spiritual and physical being
to become distorted, and the regretful effects are widespread;
it can alter one's life forever, such as having an unplanned
pregnancy or suffering from sexually transmitted diseases,
some which are incurable, like AIDS. Etc etc
Let us not be blinded by the pleasures of this world and think
about the repercussions it will have on your body.

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Counter:
Good morning, we are from team Abnegation, but contrary to
our opponent’s stand, we say YES to Premarital Sex, because
this is MY body.
While it is true that it has been a taboo historically, our times
have changed and we have become to view our bodies as our
own; it has needs that must be addressed, and sex is one of
them. But do you need to wait to have a husband or a wife to
achieve that? What if nobody comes? You will deprave your
body of the exercise and nourishment it needs because some
religion says so, the same religion that says it’s ok for a man to
have four wives? You speak of sexually transmitted diseases and
pregnancy as a consequence, but statistics say that it has
reduced over time due to studies and, hello, condoms.
There are so many health benefits to sex like…. and if we love
ourselves, we owe it to our bodies to give its needs.

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Some Logical
Fallacies in
Argument:

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1. Argumentum Ad Hominem
• The ad hominem is a fallacy of relevance
where someone rejects or criticizes another
person’s view on the basis of personal
characteristics, background, physical
appearance, or other features irrelevant to
the argument at issue.

• However, if the attack on the person is

relevant to the argument, then it is not a
fallacy.

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1. Argumentum Ad Hominem
Fallacy: (Topic is divorce) Why would we
believe Jennifer when she has barely finished
college?

Not a fallacy: (Topic is education) Why should

we believe Jennifer when during her stay in
high school, she constantly cuts classes and has
stayed in the guidance office longer than the
guidance teachers themselves?

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2. Strawman Argument

Substituting a person’s actual

position or argument with a
distorted, exaggerated, or
misrepresented version of the
position of the argument.

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 So what you’re saying is that the
I don’t believe in Muslims are wrong? That there
Gods because for me is no Buddha and that all the
there is only one other religions’s faiths are
God. misplaced?

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3. Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam

The fallacy that a proposition is

true simply on the basis that it
has not been proved false or that
it is false simply because it has
not been proved true.

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Aliens are
not real.

Satan
does not
exist!

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4. False Dichotomy

This line of reasoning fails by

limiting the options to two when
there are in fact more options to
choose from.

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 You are either
with God or
against Him.

Either you
love LGBTQ
members or
you don’t.

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5. Slippery Slope

It is an argument that suggests

taking a minor action will lead to
major and sometimes ludicrous
consequences.

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 If we allow the
children to call
their parents by
their first names,
sooner or later
they will expect to
be the authority
inside the house.

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6. Petitio Principii
When a person’s argument is just
repeating what they already
assumed beforehand, it’s not
arriving at any new conclusion. We
call this a circular argument or
circular reasoning.
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 The
Bible is
real.

Says
who?

Me.

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7. Hasty Generalization

A hasty generalization is a general

statement without sufficient
evidence to support it.

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Steve is a man.
He is a cheater.

Therefore, all
men are
cheaters.

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8. Ignorantio Elenchi

A “red herring fallacy” is a

distraction from the argument
typically with some sentiment that
seems to be relevant but isn’t really
on-topic.

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It is morally unacceptable to
cheat on your spouses.
Why, what is morality?

It’s a conduct shared by

cultures. Which cultures?

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9. Tu Quoque

The “Tu Quoque,” Latin for “you

too,” is also called the “appeal to
hypocrisy” because it distracts from
the argument by pointing out
hypocrisy in the opponent.

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Maybe my father committed an adultery, but your father
did so too! In fact, they have the same mistress!

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10. Argumentum Ad Verecundiam

This fallacy happens when we

misuse an authority.

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President Duterte jokes about
rape all the time so it is okay to
joke about it too!

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I don’t believe in Global Warming
because Vice Ganda says it was
just a science gimmick.

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Topics for Debate:
1. Should the SOGIE Bill be implemented in the
Philippines?
2. Assisted Suicide: should it be okay or not?
3. Should sex education be taught in Philippine
high schools?
4. Marijuana: should it be legal or not?
5. Social Media: is it more advantageous or
disadvantages?
Debate Format:
1. Opening Statements for both
sides. (2 mins)
2. Time to formulate arguments.
(3mins)
3. Rebuttals. (1 min each)
4. Final Statement (2mins)