0.7 Writing module three: five essential parts of argument  (Page 2/5)

Preparing your argument

To prepare to make an effective argument you must first:

• translate your topic into a Problem Statement;
• frame a situation that is debatable or contestable;
• formulate a question about which reasonable people might disagree; and
• find a claim your analysis has led you to assert.

Now you can begin to imagine what it will take to convince your audience. What evidence, methods, or models do they expect? What conventions must you follow to win approval?

Sketch your approach

• What do you want to show?
• Why should readers agree?
• Based on what evidence?
• What are some possible alternatives or objections?
• What conclusion will you offer, and why should your readers accept it as valuable?

The five parts of argument

The questions that lead to your topic, broadly conceived, also steer you toward what The Craft of Argument formalizes in the Five Parts of Argument.

• Claims
• Reasons
• Evidence
• Warrants
• Acknowledgement and Response

These correspond to the williams’ and colomb’s five questions of argument:

• What are you claiming?
• What reasons do you have for believing your claim?
• What evidence do you base those reasons on?
• What principle connects or makes your reasons relevant to your claims?
• What about such-and-such potential disagreement/difficulty?

Constructing claims

We learn that, at bottom, an argument is just a claim and its support:

REASON therefore CLAIM

or

CLAIM because of REASON.

Your claim is your main point. It should either be clearly conceptual (seeking to change how we think) or clearly pragmatic (seeking to change how we act). Claims should, by definition, require good reasons. Audiences should be able to disagree with your claim and, by extension, to be convinced and converted by your evidence.

More about claims

• Make sure your readers can recognize why your claim is significant
• Ensure that your claim is clear and concise. Readers should be able to tell what is at stake and what principles you intend to use to argue your point
• Confirm that the claim accurately describes the main tenets of the argument to follow
• Moderate your claim with appropriate qualifiers like “many,” “most,” “often,” in place of “all,” “always,” etc.

Evaluating good claims

• Your solution is possible.
• Your solution is ethical (moral, legal, fair, etc.)
• Your solution is prudent-- it takes into consideration both the problem you seek to resolve and the possible ramifications of your proposal.

Reasons and evidence

Most arguers know from experience that reasons and evidence help to convince audiences. In the simplest terms, reasons answer the question: “Why are you making that claim?” Evidence offers tangible support for reasons. When stating reasons, always be aware of your audience. You will need to choose the reasons that support your evidence that are also the most likely to convince your specific readers or listeners. Knowing the general values and priorities of your readers will help you to determine what they will count as compelling reasons. Knowing what kind of arguments and evidence they will expect from you will guide you in choosing reasons that meet those expectations. Tailor your appeal to the specific needs and acknowledged concerns of your reading community, because arguments are always audience specific. Evidence should be reliable and based upon authoritative and trustworthy research and sources. It should be appropriately cited, and ample enough to convince. Evidence should also be designed to appeal to your target audience’s values and priorities.