English Paper #2

Paper #2: Original Argument

Your second paper this semester will be a three- to four-page essay in which you present an original argumentative analysis on a topic inspired in some way by your general field of inquiry for this class. In this essay you will use at least two outside secondary sources to develop your argument, and at least one of these sources MUST be an academic, peer-reviewed journal article or book / book chapter.

The parameters for this assignment are broad, and that may cause some of you some trouble. It will be up to each of you to establish the topic and argumentative perspective for your paper, which can be difficult when you’re not given specific directions and parameters. However, this is something that all effective writers must learn to do: to assess the scope and the perspective appropriately, especially in relation to audience expectations, is a crucial aspect of generating acceptable writing.

You will have free reign regarding the specific topic you choose, but remember that you must present an argumentative stance on that topic and support that argument in detail using sound reasoning and appropriate use of outside sources. However, perhaps choosing the specific topic will be the most difficult aspects of this assignment. Thus you will probably need to spend some time brainstorming various ways to present an argument on a single topic. One of the best ways to do this is to ask questions about a topic. How do you feel about an issue and why? How can a problem be solved? What is the most important aspect of a given issue? What best explains a particular phenomenon?

Perhaps the biggest pitfall that less experienced writers fall into with an assignment such as this is the failure to present an arguable thesis. Remember, ONE CANNOT ARGUE ABOUT FACTS. RATHER, WE CAN ARGUE ABOUT HOW FACTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED. Consider, for example, the issue of global warming. Whether or not global warming exists is NOT arguable. The simple fact is that it does exist; all accredited and soundly conducted science confirms this, and those who disclaim its existence tend to be out of touch with current data or base their claims on bad science, their own personal preferences, or various other spurious sources. However, we could argue about the following:

· the extent of global warming;

· the potential effects of global warming;

· the severity of those potential effects;

· what can be done to solve the problem;

· how society will change as a result of global warming.

These are just a few of the myriad possibilities. However, it should be noted that oftentimes in argumentation we are not able to provide a definitive answer as our argument. If we consider the above examples, we can easily see that perhaps there is no way to reverse (i.e., solve) the problem of global warming. Thus the best approach might be to develop an argument on the best ways to mitigate or lessen the extent of the problem. This, in fact, might be a more rhetorically sound perspective because to argue that we can eliminate global warming would probably be unreasonable. A much more reasonable perspective would be to argue how to reduce the warming trend. Your job as writers will be to present an argument that makes reasonable claims such as this about a debatable issue of your choice.

Finally, an important part of effective argumentation is the appropriate handling of counterarguments. You will be expected to address the major counterarguments to your view on the issue you describe, but be aware that successfully addressing a counterargument does not always mean you need to refute that counterargument. If you can refute a counterargument you should, but sometimes we simply acknowledge a counterargument—and its validity—simply to create a sense of even-handedness in our writing. Likewise, some counterarguments simply can’t be refuted, and our job in dealing with them is to show that our view is somehow better than or preferable to that of the counterargument. (For more on how to handle counterarguments, see chapter 9 of The St. Martin’s Handbook.)

Strategies for Paper 2:

· Start with a broad topic and narrow your focus by asking questions about that topic.

· Establish a number of possible ways of looking at the issue to determine the best possible thesis.

· Try to establish at least three main subtopics to develop in support of your argument.

· Create a thesis statement that clearly articulates a specific argumentative thesis and includes a sense of the reasons for that claim. (Refer to the Topics and Thesis Statements lecture from Module 1 for more on this.)

· Be willing to narrow your focus as you develop your ideas.

· Identify the counterarguments to your argument and deal with them in a rhetorically appropriate and even-handed manner. Oftentimes the best place to introduce counterarguments is shortly after you initially describe a (sub)topic.

· Qualify your argument properly—allow possibilities rather than make a cut-and-dried argument. Assert that your perspective is the most correct / appropriate / reasonable, etc.