I.
What is
argument/argumentation?
A. Argument1
= a proposition/claim (with reasons). "What's your argument?
B. Argument2 = process, "We're
having an argument"
-
Clues to what is an
argument include words such as: "so," "because," "therefore."
-
Argumentation is not a
communication "breakdown."
-
Traditional view of
argument1:
rational appeals, logic
-
Social view of argument1&2: reason
giving / mutual meaning creation / dispute situations
II.
If argumentation is
"giving reasons" for assertions (micro-structure), What
requires reasons? Do
the examples below normally require reasons?
-
"I love you."
(an emotional expression)
-
"Please
take your seats (bus driver)." (a command)
-
"I'm
giving you a C- on this assignment (an argument if
there
is a dispute but not if it is information giving)
-
"You should pay
the cost of repairs to my car." (probably an argument
requiring reasons why you should pay)
-
"It's 85 degrees
in this classroom." (a simple statement of fact)
(We use what "everyone" (involved) has agreed upon as
support (grounds) to
move to a new claim, thus creating "chains of reasoning."
III. Foundation Concepts in Argumentation
A.
Definitions.
"An
argument1 is a (set of) statement(s) in which
a claim is made, support (REASONS) is offered,
and there is an attempt to influence someone in the context of
disagreement." p. 6 -- "A claim is an expressed conclusion
(assertion) the arguer (rhetor) wants accepted." p. 7 [ T.A.
Hollihan & K.T. Baaske. Arguments and Arguing. Waveland
1998. ]
B.
What counts as a reason?
[support? i.e., evidence, grounds]
-
sufficiency (to the
audience)
-
clarity (to the
audience)
-
credibility to the
audience
-
accepted
principles/criteria (for the audience or within "the
field")
-
silence of the
audience/opponent?? (No!)
C.
What is not an
argument?
-
descriptions
-
undisputed facts
-
commands
-
emotional (consumatory)
expressions
-
artistic expressions
-
promises
What is not an argument in one context
may be in another!!
Evaluation of argument and rigor vary by
situation too.
D.
What are the goals of argument?
-
Truth Testing function
-- the Dialectic
-
Validating claims
-- the logical perspective
-
Testing claims and
ideas (error checking) -- the
epistemic perspective
(& revealing hidden assumptions)
-
Advocacy Function - the
Rhetoric
-
Convincing others
of a claim (truth and action)
-
Requiring multiples
views be considered
-
Building common
ground
-
Strengthening the
challenged position
[ Tension between 1
& 2 is always a problem ]
IV. CONTEXTS for
Argumentation
A. Cultural Contexts -
- Shared systems of meanings: symbols,
myths, rituals, history, ideology.
- Sets interpretations, norms, values
B. Fields:
- All academic enterprise is
argumentation. Thus, disciplines are argumentation
"fields"
- So are the professions (law,
politics, science, etc.)
- Fields are defined by the traits
of
- having consistent patterns of
arguments
- preferred (field specific)
warrants
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