What are the Issue and the
Conclusion?
UI100 13&76
Issue & Conclusion
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What are the issue and the conclusion of
someone’s argument?
Before we can evaluate someone’s
reasoning, we have to first figure out the
issue and the conclusion.
Issue & Conclusion
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Issue & Conclusion
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Does the person who wrote these
paragraphs want you to believe
something?
What does that person want you to
believe?
Issue & Conclusion
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If a person writes an editorial,
magazine article, or book – that person
is doing so because he/she want you to
believe something.
Issue & Conclusion
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Your job as a critical thinker is to
discover what that is – that something
that they want you to believe.
Issue & Conclusion
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When looking at a situation that you
may be trying to break down – there are
two kinds of issues that you will
typically encounter.
kinds of issues
Issue & Conclusion
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Descriptive Issues: Those that raise
questions about the accuracy of
descriptions of the past, present, or
future.
Issue & Conclusion
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Examples:
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What causes AIDS?
Do obese people have more emotional
problems that non-obese people?
Who won the presidential debate?
How much will college cost in the year 2010?
Can a child’s IQ be raised by a stimulating
environment?
Issue & Conclusion
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These issues are all around you and
they reflect our curiosity about
patterns in the world.
Issue & Conclusion
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Prescriptive issues: Those that raise
questions about what we should do or
what is right or wrong, good or bad.
Issue & Conclusion
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Examples:
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Should capital punishment be abolished?
Is it desirable to fluoridate drinking water?
What ought to be done about unemployment?
Should people be required to retire at a certain
age?
Issue & Conclusion
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These kinds of questions demand
answers that suggest the way the world
ought to be. These issues are moral or
ethical issues.
Issue & Conclusion
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Social controversies are usually
prescriptive issues such as “should
marijuana be legal?” or “does
everyone have the right to own a
gun?”
Issue & Conclusion
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How do you determine the issue in an
argument?
Issue & Conclusion
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Sometimes the writer/speaker will tell you
the issue.
For example:
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The question I am raising is whether taxes are
too high in our country.
Should sex education be taught in the school?
Why isn’t our present educational system
working?
Issue & Conclusion
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If the question is not explicitly stated, the first
step is to find the conclusions – which can be
difficult to do.
You must ask yourself, “What is the
writer/speaker trying to prove?”
Issue & Conclusion
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Issue & Conclusion
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How to find the conclusion:
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Ask what the issue is
Look for indicator words
Issue & Conclusion
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Issue & Conclusion
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Issue & Conclusion
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Always remember to
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Look in likely locations
Remember what a conclusion is NOT
Issue & Conclusion
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Always help your readers and listeners
out by giving them your conclusion.
Require yourself to declare a thesis.
Issue & Conclusion