PROPOSITIONS
Definitions of "Proposition"
- "a judgment expressed in words"
(Whately)
- "an assertion requiring multiple arguments."
- "a debate topic negotiated between disputants." (with
defined terms, etc.)
- Proposition:
The overarching claim of an extended argument
- Issues
are QUESTIONS of potential dispute under a proposition.
- Some are relevant; others are irrelevant.
- Some are likely to be ignored or made irrelevant in context.
- Requirements for constructing
a good proposition. Propositions must be claims
that are:
- Controversial
- Significant and current
(but not yet generally accepted)
- Clear
in focusing on an identifiable set of issues
- No ambiguous terms (Thus,
define
terms that might be unclear!)
- Avoid "double-barreled"
claims (ones that require two conclusions)
- Balanced (Both sides need an equal chance
to prevail.)
- Challenges the status quo
(that is, advocates something different from the current state of affairs)
- Phrasing concerns
for constructing propositions:
- State it as a declarative sentence
- Avoid all
"loaded language"
- Use terms
that can be defined objectively
- For policy propositions, the
phrasing must propose change in belief and action
- The proposition
must state the direction of change
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