THE ARGUMENTATIV

E ESSAYAP Style

ANALYSIS AND ARGUMENT

Academic paper = analyze facts or ideas to: make sense of them, tell me their meanings, their significance.Articulate relationshipsCreate rational contextsArgue particular relationships

GOOD ACADEMIC QUESTIONS

Questions should be:

Significant Objective Analytical

FOR EXAMPLE: Why has Europe moved closer to

unification since World War Two? How do Western assumptions about the

relationship between body and mind influence the practice of medicine?

Why can so many post-colonial nations be considered “failed states” many decades after independence?

What was the relationship between theology and social context in the early Methodist movement?

YOUR TURN

Topic: Modern Technology

Education

Create your own academic question

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler?

Is education is the single most important factor in the development of a country?

THE ARGUMENT The Thesis

Describes the relationshipMajor terms

Example Structures:Because A is of B nature, then C. If A causes B, then B is of C nature.B does not cause C, but A influences both B

and C, etc.

RELATIONSHIP / TERM

A) Increased ethnic tensions

PLUS B) Lack of local infrastructure

DESPITE C) Influx of foreign aidCAUSES D) The instability of the

post- colonial nation-state

RELATIONSHIP / TERM

A) Bohrs’ approach to physics

DIFFERED B) From that of Einstein; This

difference is not only

REFLECTED C) In the language each uses; it is

CONSTRUCTED D) By that language.

LOGICAL ARGUMENTS A logical argument exists

whenever two elements are present:Claim/Assertion

EXAMPLE: Most Americans need to exercise more.

Support/EvidenceEXAMPLE: According to the latest government figures, most Americans are overweight.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF CLAIMS:

Claims of FACT

Examples:The Constitution

restricts our right to bear arms.

Immigrants are taking away jobs from Americans who need work.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF CLAIMS:

Claims of DEFINITIO

N

Examples:Alcoholism is a

disease, not a vice.

The death penalty constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment."

FIVE CATEGORIES OF CLAIMS:

Claims of CAUSE

Examples:The popularity of the Internet has led to a rise in plagiarism amongst students.

Tougher gun laws would decrease the number of homicides.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF CLAIMS:

Claims of VALUE

Examples:Doctor-assisted

suicide is immoral.

Violent computer games are detrimental to children’s social development.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF CLAIMS:

Claims of POLICY

Examples:Welfare

programs should not be dismantled.

The state ought to issue vouchers for parents to use to fund their children’s education.

SUPPORT

hard EVIDENCE; or

expert OPINION.

WARRANT

the logical relationship between claim and support

the assumption

WARRANT EXAMPLE

CLAIM: Most Americans need to exercise more.

SUPPORT According to the latest government figures, most Americans are overweight.

WARRANT: Exercise can enable weight loss.

Claim Support

Warrant

Warrant = bridge between claim and support

SYLLOGISTIC REASONING

Connecting abstract and general (deductive reasoning= general to specific)the warrant = the major premise of the syllogism (a categorical rule)

the support = the minor premise (a specific instance or case)

the claim = the logical conclusion derived from these two premises

QUALIFICATIONS QUALIFICATIONS that acknowledge

the limits of your argument.CLAIM: Most Americans need to

exercise more.SUPPORT According to the latest

government figures, most Americans are overweight.

WARRANT: Exercise can enable weight loss.

Further Qualification: However, strenuous exercise is not appropriate for those with certain health conditions.

Why would you want to qualify your argument?

QUALIFYING

Concession Rebuttal

OUTLINE Introduction

Hook Establishes qualifications Establishes common ground Fair tone States claim

Background Necessary information

Lines of argument Good reasons (Supports/Warrants)

Alternative Arguments Advantages and disadvantages of views (Qualifications) Explains why your view is better

Conclusion Summarizes Elaborates the implications of your claim Reinforces credibility Emotional appeal Clear message

ESSAY TOPIC The German poet Goethe once wrote, “Treat

people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”

Goethe’s statement might be implied to schools, government, social services, business, even to families— any place, really, where people interact with each other. Is Goethe just expressing an unattainable principle of human behavior, or does his ideal have real-life applicability? In a well-organized essay, comment on the validity of Goethe’s statement as a realistic guide to personal relationships. To support your point of view, you may draw evidence from your reading, studies, observation, and personal experiences.