RESPONSE PAPER

Chapter two discusses examining written arguments and chapter four looks at responding to arguments. This is your first week having two chapters to discuss. Be sure to discuss both chapters in your post. Like in previous weeks, you can choose the content. Try to move beyond a summary; react and respond to the reading in some fashion. Be sure to cite parts of the chapter in your discussion. You don't have to write the textbook as a reference, merely say what part of the chapter you are citing.

Follow the directions in the Syllabus for the purposes of the assignment (this means make one post where you answer the questions below and then respond to at least three classmates' responses). Remember, it's probably in your best interest to respond to more than just three classmates. Respond to the reading by Wednesday at NOON (MDT) and to your classmates by Thursday at 11:55 PM (MDT).

As some of you noticed last week, the grading for this is both qualitative and quantitative. If your response meets the criteria, it will be scored a 6. Any appropriate response to classmates will be scored a 1 (this means engaging in the conversation, not complimenting or agreeing with them). If your responses go above and beyond the expectations they can receive more points

student response so you discuss

student 1
I will begin with my reactions to Chapter 2 first. When I first started reading Chapter 2, I was impressed by the focus and the discussion about prereading. I suppose I never realized or thought that a textbook would acknowledge this practice.  I have always engaged in prereading.  It helps me to comprehend the content, especially when I am reading about something I do not know about or understand. The book states that prereading is for getting an overview of the piece before we read it, and this is exactly how I have always used prereading.  I have also referred to the practice of scanning the material first instead of immediately digging into it.  I think scanning and prereading are most likely interchangeable terms. Right?

When reading an argument, I tend to have strong reactions to controversial content. For instance, I read a paper the other day about the existence of God and became angry a few paragraphs in. When I write argumentative papers, which I have very minimal experience with, I tend to be biased because I cannot keep my emotions out of the writing. This is a bad habit that I need to break, and I was glad to encounter this information from the chapter.  Chapter 2 states that:

Reading arguments critically requires you to at least temporarily suspend
notions of absolute “right” and “wrong” and to intellectually inhabit gray areas
that do not allow for simple “yes” and “no” answers. Of course, even in these
areas, significant decisions about such things as ethics, values, politics, and the
law must be made, and in studying argument you shouldn’t fall into the trap
of simple relativism: the idea that all answers to a given problem are equally
correct at all times (39).

Actually, I do not think there is an absolute right or wrong. I know that ethics often determine these beliefs and that ethics is determined by culture.  I know that culture is not a universal concept and need to keep this in mind when I am reading and writing. 

I really like the information that is presented on page 116.  I have not seen any format or template before for writing an argumentative statement. Arguments are zero good unless they are backed with research.  For instance, all claims need to be backed with facts, and Chapter 4 offers us a simple of way of doing this.  I think this strategy will help to eliminate bias. It gives us a way to present the other person's viewpoint.  The textbook also discusses the uselessness of making statements such as "I agree." In my opinion, no one cares if I agree unless I make a statement that says, "I agree with this idea because research shows x,y,z."

Rottenberg, Annette; Winchell, Donna Haisty (2014-10-10). Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader, Eleventh Edition (Page 39). Bedford/St. Martin's. Kindle Edition.

Student 2

Responses to Chapters 2 and Four

            To a large extent, what we do come to see in these chapters is this sort of inherent focus that is given on the different ways in which critical reading should be done.  In that manner, there are a number of things to be considered if and when some argument or some sort of a claim is being analyzed.  These include understanding as to what is the argument that is being made and analyzed.  At the same time, there is also the need to look at the subject that is being analyzed and in doing so, also trying to see how the subject itself sort of correlates with the argument that is being made.  Then there was also very good understanding that was presented in regarding to what a definition is but also in doing so, in trying to look at the analysis and the overall assessment of the different terms that are found in a given argument.  The goal here in looking at the concept of definition is really to be able to understand as to what sort of effective ways are being utilized to fulfill that argument and the definition that is being worked on.   Therefore, what we have to put focus here is to understand that if there is an argument that is being made, it is also one that is able to employ a number of important examples to it.  This could be in the form of a compare or a contrast example or even the use of some personal example to shed further light on the argument that is being made.  Therefore I feel that the goal here is really to be able to have that evaluation of performing critical reading and when that is being done, to also know that critical analysis of a given text requires us to move beyond what is being said to then also interpret the deeper and the comprehensive meanings of the words and the terms that are being employed in that given argument.

Reference

Winchell Donna Haisty and Annette T. Rottenberg (2011).  Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader; Macmillan Publishers.