english 101
sas70
ArgumentLecture.pptxArgument
What is it?
What Argument Is
Dispute, involving conflict, with winners and losers
Thoughtful conversation with amicable colleagues to find a truth to share
What Argument Isn’t
A screaming fight
Making up your mind before hearing the other side
ARGUMENT IS EVERYWHERE
Types of Argument
Adversarial—going for the win
Consensual—something for everyone
What type of arguer are YOU?
Adversarial Argument
Tries to change the other’s mind
Refutes the opposite view
GOING FOR THE WIN
Types of Adversarial Argument
Debate
Courtroom
One-on-one
Single Perspective
Debate
Debate requires participants on both sides of an issue trying to win.
The participants don’t try to convince each other.
They try to convince a judge.
The judge picks the winner.
In political debates, the public picks the winner.
Courtroom
Specializes in legal issues
Lawyers take opposing sides.
Lawyers try to convince a judge and/or jury of guilt or innocence.
Lawyers do not try to convince each other.
One lawyer is designated a winner.
One-on-One
Everyday Arguments
One person tries to convince another.
The arguer must identify with and focus on the other person.
Issues to be considered:
Wants
Values
The argument may have a winner and a loser, or a partial victory may happen.
Single Perspective
Single Perspective arguments take place when one person tries to convince a mass audience.
This technique is used in mass media.
Which issue and position is usually clear.
Opposing views, if referred to at all, are usually refuted.
The arguer rarely knows the effect of the message.
Consensual Argument
Consensual argument happens when people try to find common ground.
Try to resolve differences.
Try to smooth the path for new ideas.
Uses creative methods for solving problems.
Types of consensual argument
Dialectic
Academic Inquiry
Negotiation
Internal
Dialectic
Dialectic arguments are used to resolve conflicts.
Two or more people argue as equals.
Questioning strategy:
What is (insert topic here)?
Participants explain and justify their positions.
The object is to discover common ground.
No winners
Academic Inquiry
Academic inquiry involves a complicated issue being discussed from one or more viewpoints.
People use this method to discover new views, new knowledge, and new truths.
Most academic matters are still open to inquiry.
Use this method to produce new angles and new examples.
Mutual feedback helps guide ideals.
Cooperative search for knowledge leads to no specific winners.
Negotiation
Negotiation is between two people or groups of people to reach a consensus.
Used to formulate plans of action.
Takes place after both sides have stated their petitions.
Often requires cooperation and compromise.
Ideally, all sides are winners.
Internal Argument
Internal Argument happens when you argue with yourself.
Used for individual decision making or to increase motivation.
Different possibilities are identified.
Reasons for both sides are defined.
A conclusion is reached.
When can Argument Happen?
A forum must be made to hold the argument.
The issue must be arguable.
A person must argue the point.
An audience must listen to the argument.
Common ground must be established.
Somebody must change their position.
What is a forum?
A forum is simply the space in which an argument can occur.
Inside your head
Around your kitchen table
Cars
Courtrooms
Conference rooms
Academic essays and papers
Newspaper Editorials
Blogs
TV reports
And so on and so on and so on and so on …
What is an Arguable Issue
An argument needs to have one central issue that has not yet been settled.
Potential for two or more views on the issue must be present.
Most issues are not black and white. Ranges of belief do exist between the two extremes.
Roles: The Arguer
The arguer must:
Have expertise in the issue at hand.
Be motivated to take a position.
Be willing to risk expressing his or her own ideas on the topic.
Go beyond the current wisdom of the issue.
Find fresh perspectives and original insights.
Roles: The Audience
The audience listens to and considers the argument.
The audience needs to be able to understand, think, question, discuss, and answer the issue being argued.
The audience needs to participate in the debate at some level.
Receptive audiences are potentially willing to change their minds.
Common Ground
Both the arguer and the audience need to meet on common ground.
Both sides need to be able to understand each other through common language.
Finding commonalities in the argument will help draw the two sides together.
Establishing Common Ground
Complete agreement between arguer and audience means no argument will take place.
If both arguer and audience completely disagree because they have no common ground, argument can’t happen.
The two parties must discover something in common in order to have a possibility of argument.
Audience Outcomes
Successful arguments produce changes in the audience.
The type of change depends on the argument:
Negotiations bring people into consensus.
Dialectic and Academic Inquiry share information and build common ground.
Internal debate helps make decisions.
Debate and One-on-One shift audiences from hostile to neutral or neutral to agreement.
Debate and Courtroom arguments settle disputes
Single Perspective wins when audiences pay attention and were educated.
When Arguments Fail
No disagreement.
Neutrality without interest.
Lack of motivation.
Too trivial of an argument.
Too risky of an argument.
Too big of an argument.
Lack of common ground.
