Argumentation Theory
"In a . . . nation, whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion
and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of the first importance."
Thomas Jefferson
“There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse”
“For know you well, that to express oneself badly is not only faulty as far as the language goes,
but does some harm to the soul”
Socrates, in Plato’s Phaedo
Communication 470
Fall 2015
Schedule #20991 Com 206
Monday 4-6:40
George N. Dionisopoulos
Office: Com 241
Office Hours MW 12:30-1:50
dionisop@mail.sdsu.edu
This class will help acquaint you with the history, traditions and patterns of argument. In
addition, this class will enhance your skill in the construction, interpretation and evaluation of
argument. It is assumed that you have the basic knowledge of argumentation and debate covered
in Com 160. This is not a class in debating.
TEXTBOOK:
James A. Herrick, Argumentation: Understanding and Shaping Arguments Fifth Edition, (State
College, PA.: Strata Publishing, 2015). (Available in the bookstore)
Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb & Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research Chicago:
University of Chicago Press. On the class Blackboard site.
GRADING and ASSIGNMENTS:
Your grade in this class will be based upon the total number of points accumulated during the
semester on three of four graded assignments and the proposition paper. There will be three
exams and one paper, each worth 100 points. The lowest score from among these will be
eliminated before computing your grade. In addition everyone does the proposition paper –
explained below. I will use the following criteria for assigning grades:
A = 90%
A- = 88.5
B+ = 87
B = 80%
C or Pass = 70%
D = 60%
Exams (100 points each):
This class is structured around a lecture/discussion format covering some of the basic elements
dealing with the theories of argumentation and critical thinking. Mastery/understanding of this
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material will be assessed by three examinations during the course of the semester. Each exam
will take one class period and will be cover reading and lecture material using a combination of
objective, short answer and essay questions. In evaluating exams I will look for evidence that
your have read the material thoroughly, attended lectures, and thought carefully and critically
about the issues discussed. In short, I am looking for KNOWLEDGE and ANALYSIS of the
material. You will need a Scantron Form 882 and a #2 pencil for the objective portion of each
exam. Please note that exams in this class will not be returned. However, you are welcome to
make an appointment to see and review your exam. All exams will be destroyed at the end of the
following semester.
Research Project (100 points):
The research assignment for this class can take either of the following forms:
1) A theoretical study of some aspect, concept and/or problem in argument theory
or
2) A "critical" paper using conceptual tools of argumentation for the analysis of some
communication event, campaign or situation.
Written assignments can be done in groups of up to three people but everyone in the group gets
the same grade. The text of your paper should be 10-15 pages and your essay should follow the
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). It is due by 7:00 p.m.
Monday, November 30, 2015. Late papers will not be accepted.
Proposition Paper (25 points) – This is a brief writing assignment (2-3 page) that will give you
some practice working with the Toulmin model. Your paper should present one claim and defend
it with four different types of evidence. It can be a claim of fact, value, or policy. The paper
should state your claim at the top of the page and specify what type it is. Then you need to offer
four different types of support evidence. Each piece of evidence should be labeled as evidence
and you need to specify what kind it is. After each piece of evidence you need to specify how
specifically that piece of evidence supports the claim. This needs to be labeled explicitly as a
warrant. You are basically offering a single claim and then offering at least four pieces of
evidence and illustrating how each one acts to substantiate that claim. This is a very good
learning assignment but the trick is to make certain that the evidence supports the claim you
offer. At the end of your paper you need to provide a References section in which each source
you used is cited using a recognized style format like APA. You need a minimum of two
separate sources for this assignment. This paper can be written either in text form or using bulletpoints but the parts of your argument must be clearly labeled. This assignment is due to
turnitin.com on November 16, 2015 at 7:00 p. m. Late papers will not be accepted.
PROCEDURAL MATTERS
Getting to Know Each Other: Please make a Blog post about yourself under the Student Profile
Tab on Blackboard. This profile should include: (a) a photo of you, (b) and some information
you wish to share in order for us to get to know you better. Please post a photo in which your
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face is clearly visible – as opposed to a crowd-shot of the audience at an all-day music festival
with the explanation that you are in section 53, seat 12. This will help me to learn names. Follow
the example that I posted under “Professor' Profile” (tab on left side of Blackboard). I am
excited to learn about you but remember that this is a PUBLIC profile and that the
whole class will be reading it. Deadline Date: September 9, 2015 (by 5:00 p.m.,
PST).
There is a file is the course documents section of BlackBoard entitled and concerning “Tips for
Submitting Profiles.” It has a link to an instructional video that can help walk you through the
process.
It is expected that students will conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the classroom.
No class September 7, 2015 due to Labor Day.
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it
is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any
delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as
soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations
based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an
accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
According to the policy of the San Diego State Faculty Senate, the instructor is not considered
bound by the specific policies laid out in this syllabus and the instructor retains the right to adjust
the course design as needed during the semester.
The website of the School of Communication can be found at:
http://communication.sdsu.edu/
The Academic Dishonesty Policy of the School of Communication is attached at the end of this
document.
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Tentative Class Schedule
8/24 Week One – Orientation
8/31 Week Two
USA – Ch 1
Ch 2 Exercises B; C; D
CoR Ch. 7 pp. 114–123
9/7 Week Three – No Class Labor Day
USA Ch 3
CoR Ch 8 pp. 127–134
CoR Ch 9 pp. 138-150
9/15 Week Four 9/14
USA Ch 4
USA Ch 5
9/21 Week Five
USA Ch 6 Exercise A
USA Ch 7
CoR Ch 11 pp. 165-181
Week Six September 28
Exam One
10/5 Week Seven
USA Ch 8 Exercise A
10/12 Week Eight
USA Ch 9 Exercise
USA Ch 10 Exercise A
10/19 Week Nine
USA Ch 12 Exercise A
USA Ch 13 Exercise A
10/26 Week Ten
USA Ch 14 Exercise A
Week eleven November 2
Exam Two
11/9 Week Twelve
USA Ch 15 Exercise A; C
11/16 Week Thirteen
USA Ch 16 Exercise A
USA Ch 17 Exercise A
Proposition Paper due
11/23 Week Fourteen
USA Ch 18 Exercise A
11/30 Week Fifteen
USA Ch 19
USA Ch 20
Research Paper Due
12/7 Week Sixteen
Review and make-up
Exam Three
Final Exam Period
Monday, December 14, 2015; 4-6
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PROCEDURAL MATTERS:
It is expected that students will conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the classroom.
No class Monday, September 7, 2015 – Labor Day
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it
is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any
delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as
soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations
based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an
accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
According to the policy of the San Diego State Faculty Senate, the instructor is not considered
bound by the specific policies laid out in this syllabus and the instructor retains the right to adjust
the course design as needed during the semester.
The website of the School of Communication can be found at:
http://communication.sdsu.edu/
Failure to discuss some readings in class does not alleviate your responsibility for
comprehending the material -- if you have questions bring them up in class or in my office.
The Academic Dishonesty Policy of the School of Communication is attached at the end of this
document.
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Proposition Paper (25 points)
Begin your paper with your claim stated distinctly at the top of the text of your essay. If your
claim has a conjunctive or a comma it will probably not work. Use a simple declarative
statement. Clearly label the type of claim as fact, value, or policy.

The first piece of evidentiary support. Label what kind it is. Use an APA textual referent
to identify the source of this support
Double space and write out the warrant connecting this piece of evidence to your claim.

The second piece of evidentiary support. Label what kind it is. Use an APA textual
referent to identify the source of this support
Double space and write out the warrant connecting this piece of evidence to your claim.

The third piece of evidentiary support. Label what kind it is. Use an APA textual referent
to identify the source of this support
Double space and write out the warrant connecting this piece of evidence to your claim.

The fourth piece of evidentiary support. Label what kind it is. Use an APA textual
referent to identify the source of this support
Double space and write out the warrant connecting this piece of evidence to your claim.
Attach the Reference list of your sources
This assignment uses the bullet-point format but everything has to be in complete sentences. Pay
particular attention providing four different types of evidence (extended example/narrative; brief
example; statistics; testimony; analogy). Using two different types of testimony (expert and
novice) is still counted as only one type of evidence. Make certain that you provide good,
explicit warrants for each different piece of evidence. You have to show me how you think this
particular piece of evidence supports your claim. This is a very important element of this
assignment and will require some careful thought on your part.
This assignment is due to turnitin.com on November 16, 2015 at 7:00 p. m. Late papers will not
be accepted.
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THE ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY OF THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
Plagiarism is theft of intellectual property. It is one of the highest forms of academic offense because in
academe, it is a scholar’s words, ideas, and creative products that are the primary measures of identity and
achievement. Whether by ignorance, accident, or intent, theft is still theft, and misrepresentation is still
misrepresentation. Therefore, the offense is still serious, and is treated as such.
Overview:
In any case in which a Professor or Instructor identifies evidence for charging a student with violation of
academic conduct standards or plagiarism, the presumption will be with that instructor’s determination.
However, the faculty/instructor(s) will confer with the director to substantiate the evidence. Once
confirmed, the evidence will be reviewed with the student. If, following the review with the student, the
faculty member and director determine that academic dishonesty has occurred, the evidence will be
submitted to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The report “identifies the student who was
found responsible, the general nature of the offense, the action taken, and a recommendation as to
whether or not additional action should be considered by the campus judicial affairs office .” (CSSR
Website[1]).
[1] http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/academics1.html
Intellectual Property:
The syllabus, lectures and lecture outlines are personal copyrighted intellectual property of the instructor,
which means that any organized recording for anything other than personal use, duplication, distribution,
or profit is a violation of copyright and fair use laws.
Proper Source Attribution:
Proper attribution occurs by specifying the source of content or ideas. This is done by (a)
providing quotation marks around text, when directly quoted, and (b) clearly designating the source of the
text or information relied upon in an assignment. Text that is identical with another source but without
quotation marks constitutes plagiarism, regardless of whether you included the original source.
Specific exemplary infractions and consequences:
a. Reproducing a whole paper, paragraph, or large portions of unattributed materials (whether represented
by: (i) multiple sentences, images, or portions of images; or (ii) by percentage of assignment length)
without proper attribution, will result in assignment of an “F” in the course, and a report to Student Rights
and Responsibilities.
b. Reproducing a sentence or sentence fragment with no quotation marks but source citation, or subsets of
visual images without source attribution, will minimally result in an “F” on the assignment. Repeated or
serious cases will result in assignment of an “F” in the course, and a report to Student Rights and
Responsibilities.
Self-plagiarism:
Students often practice some form of ‘double-dipping,’ in which they write on a given topic across more
than one course assignment. In general, there is nothing wrong with double-dipping topics or sources, but
there is a problem with double-dipping exact and redundant text. It is common for scholars to write on the
same topic across many publication outlets; this is part of developing expertise and the reputation of being
a scholar on a topic. Scholars, however, are not permitted to repeat exact text across papers or
publications except when noted and attributed, as this wastes precious intellectual space with repetition
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and does a disservice to the particular source of original presentation by ‘diluting’ the value of the
original presentation. Any time that a writer simply ‘ cuts-and-pastes’ exact text from former papers into a
new paper without proper attribution, it is a form of self-plagiarism. Consequently, a given paper should
never be turned in to multiple classes. Entire paragraphs, or even sentences, should not be repeated wordfor-word across course assignments. Each new writing assignment is precisely that, a new writing
assignment, requiring new composition on the student’s part.
Secondary citations:
Secondary citation is not strictly a form of plagiarism, but in blatant forms, it can present similar ethical
challenges. A secondary citation is citing source A, which in turn cites source B, but it is source B’s ideas
or content that provide the basis for the claims the student intends to make in the assignment. For
example, assume that there is an article by Jones (2006) in the student’s hands, in which there is a
discussion or quotation of an article by Smith (1998). Assume further that what Smith seems to be saying
is very important to the student’s analysis. In such a situation, the student should always try to locate the
original Smith source. In general, if an idea is important enough to discuss in an assignment, it is
important enough to locate and cite the original source for that idea. There are several reasons for these
policies: (a) Authors sometimes commit citation errors, which might be replicated without knowing it; (b)
Authors sometimes make interpretation errors, which might be ignorantly reinforced (c) Therefore,
reliability of scholarly activity is made more difficult to assure and enforce; (d) By relying on only a few
sources of review, the learning process is short-circuited, and the student’s own research competencies are
diminished, which are integral to any liberal education; (e) By masking the actual sources of ideas,
readers must second guess which sources come from which citations, making the readers’ own research
more difficult; (f) By masking the origin of the information, the actual source of ideas is misrepresented.
Some suggestions that assist with this principle:




When the ideas Jones discusses are clearly attributed to, or unique to, Smith, then find the Smith
source and citation.
When the ideas Jones is discussing are historically associated more with Smith than with Jones,
then find the Smith source and citation.
In contrast, Jones is sometimes merely using Smith to back up what Jones is saying and believes,
and is independently qualified to claim, whether or not Smith would have also said it; in such a
case, citing Jones is sufficient.
Never simply copy a series of citations at the end of a statement by Jones, and reproduce the
reference list without actually going to look up what those references report—the only guarantee
that claims are valid is for a student to read the original sources of those claims.
Solicitation for ghost writing:
Any student who solicits any third party to write any portion of an assignment for this class (whether for
pay or not) violates the standards of academic honesty in this course. The penalty for solicitation
(regardless of whether it can be demonstrated the individual solicited wrote any sections of the
assignment) is F in the course.
TurnItIn.com
The papers in this course will be submitted electronically in Word (preferably .docx) on the due dates
assigned, and will require verification of submission to Turnitin.com.
“ Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual
similarity review to TurnItIn.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as
source documents in the TurnItIn.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of
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such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information about you is
included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your papers not be submitted to
TurnItIn.com. However, if you choose this option you will be required to provide documentation to
substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material” (source:
language suggested by the CSU General Counsel and approved by the Center for Student’s Rights and
Responsibilities at SDSU)
Specific exemplary infractions and consequences





Course failure: Reproducing a whole paper, paragraph, or large portions of unattributed
materials without proper attribution, whether represented by: (a) multiple sentences, images, or
portions of images; or (b) by percentage of assignment length, or solicitation of a ghost writer,
will result in assignment of an “F” in the course in which the infraction occurred, and a report to
the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities (CSRR2).
Assignment failure: Reproducing a sentence or sentence fragment with no quotation marks, but
with source citation, or subsets of visual images without source attribution, will minimally result
in an “F” on the assignment, and may result in greater penalty, including a report to the CSRR,
depending factors noted below. In this instance, an “F” may mean anything between a zero (0)
and 50%, depending on the extent of infraction.
Exacerbating conditions--Amount: Evidence of infraction, even if fragmentary, is increased
with a greater: (a) number of infractions; (b) distribution of infractions across an assignment; or
(c) proportion of the assignment consisting of infractions.
Exacerbating conditions--Intent: Evidence of foreknowledge and intent to deceive magnifies
the seriousness of the offense and the grounds for official response. Plagiarism, whether ‘by
accident’ or ‘by ignorance,’ still qualifies as plagiarism—it is all students’ responsibility to make
sure their assignments are not committing the offense.
Exceptions: Any exceptions to these policies will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and
only under exceptional circumstances.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO EXCUSES ALLOWED BASED ON IGNORANCE OF WHAT
CONSTITUTES PLAGIARISM, OR OF WHAT THIS POLICY IS
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