ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY 2

							   ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
*Argumentative essay is written for the
purpose of convincing or persuading
readers that the point being made is
valid.
*An argument follows when two parties
disagree about something. One party
gives an opinion and offers reasons in
support of it and the other party gives a
different opinion and offers reasons in
support of his or her stand.
     The Argumentative Thesis:
          Taking a Stand
• Most writing is, of course, improved by
  having a persuasive edge to the thesis,
  but for analysis and exposition, that “edge”
  need not always be sharp.
• For example, a thesis such as “My first
  experiences with Americans were
  traumatic” has a central idea –traumatic-
  but it is not really strongly persuasive, and
  it is certainly not argumentative.
• However, people can disagree about
  many things that cannot be argued
  effectively.
• For example, two people might argue that
  one flavor of ice cream tastes better than
  another, but there is no way that either
  party could convince the other party to
  change his or her preference.
• It could, however, be argued that one
  flavor seems to be more popular; in this
  case facts about sales could be cited.
• Two people might also disagree
  about the existence of God, but
  again, it is very unlikely that one
  person could convince the other
  person to change his or her belief, for
  religious belief is based on faith, not
  on logic or verifiable facts.
• Moreover, two people might disagree
  about who won the national soccer
  match in 1980, but if they do some
  research, the argument would be
  settled using a fact.
• Therefore, arguments of preference,
  belief or faith, and fact are not the
  type of arguments one can effectively
  and logically deal with in the formal
  argumentative essay.
• The kind of argument that can be argued
  logically is one based on an opinion that can be
  supported by evidence such as facts.
• For example, when the Three Mile Island
  nuclear power plant broke down in 1979, debate
  ensued concerning the whole issue of nuclear
  power.
• Those in favor of continuing the construction of
  nuclear power plants argued against those who
  wanted to ban further construction of the plants.
• The issue was whether or not the United States
  should ban further construction.
• The proponents (those in favor of the
  issue -banning further construction) said
  yes and gave three reasons; the
  opponents (those against banning
  construction) said no and gave three
  reasons.
• There were definitely two sides to that
  issue, but more importantly, it was an
  issue that was arguable: It was not an
  argument of belief or faith, preference, or
  fact.
• An argumentative essay is one that
  attempts to change the reader’s mind,
  convince the reader to agree with the
  point of view or opinion of the writer.
• Therefore, the argumentative essay
  attempts to be highly persuasive and
  logical.
• What is the difference, then, between
  a thesis with a strong central idea and
  an argumentative thesis?
• To begin with, an argumentative
  thesis takes a side of an issue;
  frequently, too, it proposes a course
  of action (often expressed with the
  modal “should”).
• In the argument concerning the Three Mile
  Island nuclear power plant, the thesis for a
  paper on this topic might be, “The U.S.
  should ban further construction of nuclear
  power plants.”
• Of course, someone else might argue,
  “The U.S. should continue building nuclear
  power plants.”
     Study the following thesis statements:
•   Students should have a say in the hiring
    and firing of teachers.
•   Prospective parents should be required to
    get licences in order to have children.
•   There are many complex reasons for the
    failure of the police to respond quickly to
    alarms.
•   The citizens of our nation should be
    allowed to carry guns.
•   Most of the Americans I have met are
    quite hospitable.
 The Opposition: Knowing What
      You Are Up Against
• When you write an argumentative
  paper, more so than with expository
  or analytical essays, you must be
  acutely aware of the audience –the
  reader.
• Remember, the purpose of an
  argumentative essay is to convince
  the reader that your position is the
  better one.
• To begin with, assume that the reader
  disagrees with you. After all, if he or
  she did not, there would be no cause
  to argue.
• Next, remember that although the
  reader disagrees with you, that
  doesn’t mean he or she is any less
  intelligent than you.
• Therefore, avoid attacking the reader
  with such statements as, “Anyone
  who believes we should ban nuclear
  power plants must be ignorant or out
  of touch with reality.”
• Indeed, address your reader by
  writing objectively, logically and
  respectfully.
• The most important thing to consider
  about the members of the audience is why
  they hold their opinion. What reasons do
  you think they might use to support their
  opinion?
• Trying to identify and understand your
  opponent’s point of view is important; if
  you don’t understand your opponent’s
  reasons and you just argue your own
  reasons, you are not likely to convince the
  reader at all.
• For example, let us say that you felt we
  should continue building nuclear power
  plants and you give the following reasons:
• They provide energy at a relatively low
  cost.
• They provide renewable sources of
  energy.
• They reduce our dependence on foreign
  sources of energy.
• They provide immediate jobs.
• Your reasons might be very good ones,
  but these points are probably not the
  points on which your opposition bases its
  argument; in fact, your opponents will
  probably agree with you on these points!
• At the heart of your opponent’s argument
  is the issue of safety. If you don’t address
  that issue and convince your opponents
  that nuclear power plants are safe, then
  you cannot expect to convince them that
  we should build more nuclear power
  plants.
• Once you have argued to the points the
  opposition holds, then you can further support
  your case by adding the other reasons
  mentioned eariler.
• Example:
• Marijuana smoking should be legalized.
• PRO
• It is a harmless, enjoyable relaxer.
• CON
• It is dangerous to health.
• PRO
• The government should not have the right
  to tell us what we can or cannot consume.
• CON
• The government should not allow harmful
  drugs to circulate without control.
 Arguing Your Case: The Logic
    Behind Your Reasons
• It is necessary to know why your opponent
  holds his or her opinion so that you can
  deal with those reasons.
• In other words, “prove” that you are right
  and the opponent is wrong. But how can
  you convince someone who disagrees
  with you?
• First, you need to understand what points
  need to be argued; that is, you must be
  sure that you understand the “heart” of the
  issue.
• This step comes by thinking of both sides
  of the issue and determining what the
  most important points are.
• If you know your stand on the issue and
  you know what point or points you have to
  prove, then you are well on your way
  toward constructing a logical argument.
• All formal arguments are based on
  logic.
• There are two kinds of formal logical
  reasoning: inductive and deductive.
• Induction refers to the process of
  examining particular details and
  arriving at a conclusion based on that
  evidence.
• Let’s say that you were an investigative
  reporter for a newspaper.
• You have been asked to look into the
  causes of a famous hotel fire.
• After some research, you learned that the
  fire was due to faulty electrical wiring and
  you found out that Eee-Zee Wire
  Company had installed the wiring.
• Curious, you decided to do some
  investigation of Eee-Zee Wire Company.
• After further research, you found out that
  60 percent of the buildings that were wired
  by Eee-Zee Wire Company caught fire
  within two years, and of those fires, 85
  percent were due to faulty electrical wiring.
  From this data, then, you could reasonably
  conclude:
• Buildings wired by Eee-Zee Wire company
  are likely to have faulty wiring.
• Note that you cannot reasonably conclude
  that all buildings wired by this company
  have faulty wiring, because your evidence
  does not support that conclusion: all.
• The inductive process is really what you
  have been doing throughout this book.
• Whenever you formulate a generalization,
  you do so after examining evidence –
  whether consciously or unconsciously.
• Deduction, on the other hand, refers to the
  process of arriving at a conclusion about a
  particular case based on a generalization.
  In other words, in deduction you begin with
  a generalization and apply it to a specific
  case. Take the case of Eee-Zee Wire
  Company.
• As you continue your investigaton, you
  discover that the elegant Statler Hotel was
  wired by Eee Zee Wire Company.
• Having already concluded that Buildings
  wired by Eee-Zee Wire company are
  likely to have faulty wiring, you could
  logically conclude:
• The Statler Hotel probably has faulty
  wiring.
• The logic of deductive arguments can be
  checked by breaking the argument down
  into its syllogism.
• The initial generalization is called the
  major premise, the specific case the minor
  premise, and the resultant statement is the
  conclusion.
• Major Premise: Buildings wired by Eee-
  Zee Wire company are likely to have faulty
  wiring
• Minor Premise: The Statler Hotel is a
  building that was wired by Eee Zee Wire
  Company
• Conclusion: The Statler Hotel is likely to
  have faulty wiring.
• Although induction is sometimes used as a
  way to organize essays, it is more often
  considered a thought process; the
  evidence one accumulates in the inductive
  process can often be used in the
  deductive argument as support.
• Deduction, on the other hand, is more
  commonly used to argue a side of an
  issue.
• How does the syllogism apply in an
  argumentative essay?
• The syllogism is really the superstructure behind
  the reasons.
• When you plan an argumentative essay, it is
  often a good idea to begin the argument at a
  point where you and your opponent both agree.
• For example, let us say that you wanted to argue
  that Eee-Zee Wire Company should have its
  business licence taken away.
• Why? Because they do not install safe wiring.
• Whether you realize it or not, your major
  premise here is that only electrical
  companies that install safe wiring should
  have licences.
• Sometimes the major premise is obvious,
  but it often should be stated.
• Here is the argument in a syllogism:
• Major Premise: Only electrical companies
  that install safe wiring should have
  licences.
• Minor Premise: Eee-Zee Wire Company
  does not install safe wiring.
• Conclusion: Eee-Zee Wire Company
  should not have a licence.
• Sometimes the issue is more complex and
  requires more than one premise to be proved.
• Take the case of nuclear power plant
  construction.
• Let us say that you want to argue in favor of
  constructing nuclear power plants.
• You know that your opponent’s most formidable
  point is the safety issue, so you will have to
  argue to that point.
• You can begin with the major premise:
• Only safe sources of energy should be
  developed.
• This is a reasonable asumption. You can
  expect most people to agree with that.
  Now you have to prove:
• Nuclear power plants are safe sources of
  energy.
• This minor premise is what you have to
  prove. If you do so effectively, your
  conclusion is logical:
•    Therefore, nuclear power plants should
  be constructed.