Light Blue Shapes

1
Argument and Logic
2
Important Terms

• Claim (also assertion or, as we usually call it,
  the thesis or topic sentence)
• Data or Proof
• Warrant Why this is important the belief or
  value or major premise on which the claim is
  based
• Concession/Refutation

3
The Classical Arrangement

• Introduction
• Narration (background information)
• Confirmation (major part of text prove your
  claim/thesis)
• Refutation (refutes the opponents claim/thesis)
• Conclusion

4
Logos, Pathos, Ethos

• Logical appeal presents data, facts, experts,
  etc. to support your claim
• Emotional appeal manipulates the
  readers/audiences emotions
• Ethical appeal convinces the reader/audience that
  you know what youre talking about

5

• Logos is primarily developed, then, through modes
  of discourse (aka. Rhetorical strategies)
  supported by data.
• Pathos is primarily developed by the
  discriminating use of schemes and tropes.
• Ethos is primarily developed by the
  writer/speakers background, expertise, etc.
• BUT THESE OVERLAP, TOO!

6
For example, which is more inspiring? This

• I believe that people shouldnt be judges
  because of who they are. People should judge
  others on their actions instead.
• - Mrs. Martin

7
Or this?

• I have a dream that my four children will one
  day live in a nation where they will not be
  judged by the color of their skin but by the
  content of their character. I have a dream
  today.
• - Martin Luther King, Jr.

8
Whats the difference?

• Neither have any real logical appeal
• My quote, however, also has no emotional appeal
• Kings quote has connotation (innocence of
  childhood, reference to the American Dream, etc.)
  and antithesis w/consonance
• Andits Martin Luther King, Jr.!

9
Logic

• Strong arguments can be analyzed and broken down
  to see if they are true.
• One way to do this is with a syllogism.

10
Syllogism Components

• Major premise This is a general truth
• Minor premise This is a sub-category of the
  major premise
• Conclusion If both the major and minor premise
  are true, the conclusion should be logical
  deduction

11
Example

• Major premise All men are mortal.
• Minor premise Socrates is a man.
• Conclusion Socrates is mortal.

12
Toulmin Model

• Because ________, therefore _________, since
  _________.
• Because Socrates is a man, therefore he is
  mortal, since all men are mortal.

13
Errors in Logic

• When you have an error in your syllogisman error
  in your logicyou have created a logical fallacy.
• Logical fallacies are BAD!
• (And there are a lot of them)

14
Slippery Slope

• Predicting without justification that one step in
  a process will lead unavoidably to a second
  (usually undesirable) step
• Ex If we pass health care reform, the next
  thing you know government bureaucrats will be
  pulling the plug on Grandma.

15
Hasty Generalization

• Drawing conclusions from insufficient evidence
• Very common in student writing
• Ex 19 Muslims conducted the 9/11 attacks
  therefore, all Muslims are terrorists

16
Post Hoc

• Because B happened after A, A caused B
• Very common in cause/effect student essays
• EX I ate Cheezits and listened to the
  Backstreet Boys before my last game and we won
  therefore, eating Cheezits and listening to the
  Backstreet Boys caused me to play better.

17
Begging the Question

• AKA circular reasoning
• The argument assumes to be true what it is
  supposed to be proving
• EX Capital punishment is wrong because it is
  immoral.
• Very common in student writing

18
Either/Or Fallacy

• Presenting only two (usually black and white)
  choices when there may be other options (shades
  of gray)
• EX If you support prayer in schools, you're a
  fundamental extremist.

19
Ad Hominem

• To the Man
• Attacking the person instead of their argument
• "She asserts that we need more military spending,
  but that is false, since she is only saying it
  because she is a Republican."

20
Ad Populum

• Appeal to popular opinion
• EX It's ok because everyone is doing it
• Also called bandwagon

21
Red Herring

• This is the Hey, look! There's a distraction!
  fallacy
• It attempts to win an argument by introducing
  another, irrelevant topic and thereby diverting
  attention from the original argument
• EX Yes, health care is messed up, but right
  with the economy so bad it is no time to worry
  about health care.

22
Straw Man

• Disputing a view similar to, but not the same as
  (often distorted, exaggerated, etc. version),
  that of the arguer's opponent
• EX "Senator Jones says that we should not fund
  the attack submarine program. I disagree
  entirely. I can't understand why he wants to
  leave us defenseless like that."

23
Moral Equivalence

• Suggesting that a minor offense is the same as a
  serious wrong doing
• EX These new dress code rules are facist!

24
Appeal to Authority

• Citing an authority who is not really qualified
  to make a judgment as proof
• EX My friend, Joe, says GM stock is going up
  soon, so I'm buying!

25
Ad Misericordiam

• Appeal to pity, sympathy or a similar emotion in
  order to win an argument
• EX Teachers should give less homework because
  students are so overworked!

26
Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

• Forming a conclusion from a hypothetical premise
• EX If President Bush had never invaded Iraq, we
  could have concentrated on capturing Bin Laden
  and would have caught and executed him by now.

27
Non Sequitur

• Literally It does not follow
• When the conclusion does not follow logically
  from the premise irrelevant reasons are used to
  support the claim
• EX Mr Boswell couldn't be the person who
  poisoned our cat, Truffles, because when I used
  to take Truffles for walks he always smiled and
  said "Hello" when we walked by.

28
Oversimplification

• AKA reductive fallacy
• EX Kid's reading scores are going down these
  days because of the internet.

29
False/Bad Analogy

• Comparing apples to oranges a bad analogy falls
  apart when the two things being compared have a
  significant difference in an area fundamental to
  the argument
• EX Schools should be run like businesses, and
  since competition is good for businesses, it
  should be good for schools, too

30
Two Wrongs Make a Right

• Justifying a wrong action by reasoning that the
  other person would do it to you, too
• EX After leaving a store, Jill notices that she
  has underpaid by 10. She decides not to return
  the money to the store because if she had
  overpaid, they would not have returned the money.