Inventing Arguments Notes taken from: John Mauk

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Inventing Arguments Notes taken fromJohn Mauk
John Metz, Inventing Arguments. Boston
Thompson Wadsworth, 2006.

• Raymond M. Vince
• Composition II
• February 2006

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What is Argument?

• Argument is the act of asserting, supporting,
  defending a claim (Mauk and Metz xxv).
• Argument is an intellectual process.
• Argument is also a social process.
• Argument is explicit in politics, law,
  religion.
• But in ads, songs, slogans, stories, it is
  implicit.

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1 Arguing the Past

• The past is not dead. In fact, its not even
  past. (William Faulkner)
• We often base the present future on the past.
• History a debate about what who.
• What happened in the past?
• Who was involved, who was responsible?

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2 Arguing Origins

• Once we accept how something has started, we
  also accept the rest of the story (Mauk and Metz
  61).
• How, where why did something begin?
• Arguments about origins have power, for example
• Creation, Evolution, 1492, American frontier,
  etc.
• But how important are these questions of origin?

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3 Arguing Definitions

• What is humanity? What is innocence? What is
  love? Who is the enemy? (Mauk and Metz 116).
• Such basic definitions often operate undetected.
• Address peoples basic assumptions beliefs.
• Definitions have power give us a framework.
• But may be unclear have multiple meanings.
• How define patriotism, terrorism, marriage, etc?

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4. Arguing Meaning

• Things do not simply have meaning. People make
  meaning (Mauk and Metz 164).
• Meaning created through interaction with the
  world.
• Meaning is alive, changeable and also arguable.
  
• We read the world creating individual
  meaning.
• But meaning is also a collective understanding.

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5 Arguing Value

• Social value perhaps the most prevalent type
  of argument in popular culture and in academia
  (Mauk and Metz 219).
• When is something good, bad, wrong or valuable?
• In living, we make such distinctions of value.
• What is dangerous or what is valuable?
• Values may be explicit, may be hidden or
  implicit.

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6. Arguing Crisis

• The barbarians are attacking the city what
  should we do? (Mauk and Metz 269).
• Crises found in nearly every situation (Mauk
  and Metz 270).
• Focus on only two alternatives is often
  simplistic.
• The adventurous problem solver sees further.
• Need to see hidden implications new
  possibilities.

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7. Arguing the Future

• the future is entirely within the hands of
  those who make the assertions (Mauk and Metz
  320).
• No one can be certain of the future.
• Argument actually creates a version of the
  future.
• We makes decisions based on future assumptions.
• The future is entirely open for interpretation.
• We convince others which path is the most likely.

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8. Arguing Arguments

• Good arguments always emerge from complexity
  from acknowledging arguments that have come
  before (Mauk and Metz 369).
• Argue about rhetoric, strategies, values.
• Need not simply take a side. We can create our
  own.
• Public argument often simplistic game of
  either/or.
• Can evaluate claims, reveal values assumptions.
  

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9. Hidden Arguments

• Often, the most persuasive arguments are those
  in disguise (Mauk and Metz 422).
• May be ads, statements, reports, inspiring
  message.
• How do we see through the disguise?
• Their silent appeal into our consciousness.
• What strategies and disguises are used?
• Objectivity, personal taste, spin, propaganda.

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The Argument Handbook

• What strategies do we have available in argument?
• Appeals to character, emotion, logic, need,
  value.
• Claims or thesis statements logic evidence.
• Proof evidence, support, facts, qualifiers.
• Argument counterargument.
• Study of Rhetoric how do opinions change?
• Rhetorical situation speaker, audience,
  methods.