Fundamental Elements of an Argument

1
Fundamental Elements of an Argument

• Data (Evidence)
• Warrant
• Claim
• Reservation

2
Claims

• Claims are controversial statements that the
  arguer wants to convince the audience to believe.
• A claim is controversial--it requires reason for
  support
• A claim is believed more or less rather than
  absolutely.
• A claim may include reservations--circumstantial
  exceptions.

3
Four Kinds of Claims

• Definition
• Description
• Relationship (Similarity Contingency)
• Evaluation (evaluation of actions or policies)

4
The Substance of Argument Values

• Values and Definitions
• Values and Descriptions
• Values and Relational Statements
• Values and causation
• Values and analogy
• Values and Evaluation

5
The Structure of an Argument

• Simple arguments
• Convergent arguments
• Independent arguments

6
A Simple Argument
7
A Simple Argument Example
8
Convergent Arguments
9
Convergent Argument Example
10
Independent Arguments
11
Independent Argument Example
12
Warrants

• Warrants are beliefs audiences accept about the
  ways in which things in the world are connected.

13
Kinds of Warrants

• Absence or Presence
• Analogy
• Authority
• Classification
• Correlation
• Dissociation
• Example
• Incompatibility