What is an argument?
Argument Clinic Clip
• What is the video suggesting about good and
bad arguments?
• What makes a strong argument?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn
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Argument and Persuasion
• The process to discover a
truth using evidence and
reason.
• Argument, as a form of
persuasion, relies on
reason, logos (“word” or”
reason”).
• The process to convince
or move others from
conviction to action.
• To persuade is to win
over, whether by giving
reasons, or by appealing
to the emotions pathos
(“feeling” and “suffering”), or
establishing credibility
and high moral character
with the audience, ethos
(“character”).
Argument
• A series of statements and reasons that support a
conclusion, often formulated so that the
conclusion is deduced from premises [reasons].
• Claim: A statement or assertion of something to
be true.
• Premise: A statement or reason offered as
support of another claim.
• Conclusion: A statement or claim supported by a
premise or premises [reasons].
Syllogisms: Deductive Reasoning
Major Premise: All human beings are mortal.
Minor Premise: Socrates is a human being.
Conclusions: Socrates is mortal
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by
Martin Luther King Jr.
• “You assert that our actions, even though
peaceful, must be condemned because they
precipitate violence.”
• Syllogism:
– Society must condemn actions (even if peaceful)
that precipitate violence.
– This action (though peaceful) will precipitate
violence.
– Therefore, society must condemn this action.
Premise must be true.
Syllogism must be valid.
•The whale is a large fish.
•All large fish have scales.
•Therefore, whales have scales
Tips for finding premise/conclusion
• Look for clues.
– Premise Indicators: Since, because, for, as ,
follows from, as shown by, in as much as, as
indicated by, the reason that, may be inferred
from, given that
– Conclusion Indicators: Therefore, hence, so,
accordingly, consequently, proves that, as a result,
thus, for this reason, for these reasons, it follows
that, I conclude that, which shows that, which
means that, which entails, which implies that
Identifying Argument from Explanation
The premise of an argument answers the
question, “Why should I accept this
conclusion?”
An explanation takes the conclusion as an
assumed truth or fact, and then explains, or
states why something is the case.