CS 4001B Computing, Society and Professionalism

1
CS 4001BComputing, Society and Professionalism

• Lecture 14 Structure of an Argument
• Spring 2007
• Ellen Zegura

2
WA Chapter 4

• Rhetorical triangle
• Message
• Audience
• Writer/speaker
• Issue question
• Controversial question with alternative answers
• Information question
• Calls for information, not argument
• Examples What is network neutrality? Is network
  neutrality good? Is network neutrality new?
• Pick an example to carry through?

3
Pseudo-argument

• Unreasonable participants
• Unwilling, under any conditions, to change
• Fanatical believers and skeptics
• No shared assumptions

4
Argument Structure

• Claim one sentence answer to issue question
• Reason 1
• Reason 2
• Reason 3
• Reasons are themselves claims that support
  another claim
• Analyze examples

5
Self-announcing and unfolding

• Analyze examples for structure
• Self-announcing
• Announce thesis and forecast reasons
• Straightforward
• Good for neutral audiences
• Can insult the audience
• Unfolding
• Thesis delayed to end or not present
• Can be effective with hostile audience
• Allow more surprise
• Analyze examples

6
WA Chapter 5

• Enthymeme
• Incomplete logical structure
• Depends on an unstated assumption (warrant)
• Example
• Cameras should be used to catch those who break
  traffic laws because cameras are cheaper and more
  reliable than police.
• Assumption good to catch those breaking traffic
  laws
• Assumption catching those who break traffic laws
  increases traffic safety overall

7
Examples

• What is the warrant?
• The doctor should not perform an abortion in this
  case because the mothers life is not in danger.
• Abortion should be legal because a woman has the
  right to control her own body.

8
Other terms

• Grounds
• Answers how do you know that ltreasongt
• facts, data, statistics, testimony, examples
• Backing
• Argument that supports warrant
• Answers how do you know that ltwarrantgt or why
  do you believe that ltwarrantgt
• Qualifier
• Acknowledges that claim may not be aboslute
• Expressed in terms such as usually, under most
  circumstances, .

9
Impact on an argument

• Resistant audience may challenge
• Reasons and grounds
• Warrant and backing
• Explicitly identify (even if only in your own
  head) what are the warrant(s) and backing
• Anticipate rebuttals that attack both
  reasons/grounds and warrant/backing
• Consider including a qualifier

10
Exercise

• Develop an argument to try to convince me that
  the midterm should be either one hour long or 1.5
  hours long (whichever you prefer)
• State claim, warrant, reasons and backing
• Provide one or more qualifiers

11
Exercise (p. 91, number 2)

• Plan an audience-based argumentative strategy
  for
• An argument to reverse grade inflation by
  limiting the number of As and Bs a professor
  can give in a course. Aim the argument at
  students who fear the results of getting lower
  grades.
• State problems the writer must solve to reach the
  audience
• Develop several solutions to problems