Inventing Arguments

Chapter 6 & 7

College Comp II

Arguing Definitions

• When arguing definitions, the writer is asking “What is it?”

• It requires defining something in a way that brings out its profound significance for how one might live and think.

• They allow people to make other arguments.

Arguing Definitions Cont.

• There needs to be a common understanding of certain concepts; otherwise, decisions about public affairs are nearly impossible.

• Each discipline defines things differently; each has its own definitions of its own work; each creates its own new knowledge.

Writing About Definitions

• Starting Places:– Focus on a specific situation or thing—and

ask whether it falls within or outside of a definition.

• Popular culture• Politics• School• Work• A reading from the chapter

Writing About Definitions Cont.

– Focus on a term—and argue for a specific definition.

• What term do people misunderstand or misapply?• What is the most important debate currently being

waged in your community? What is the definition at the root of the debate?

• What is the most important cultural or national debate? What is the underlying misunderstood aspect?

Writing Definitions Cont.

– Focus on an unstated definitional argument that lurks in a common practice.

– Focus on the visual.• How does the appearance and design of a course

textbook define college? • How does a particular fashion trend define gender

or sexual orientation?• Look for visual arguments about definitions where

you work.

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Analyzing the situation—peel apart the idea under discussion and see how the specifics match up with an accepted definition.

• If starting with a specific situation, inspect the particulars.

Writing Definitions Cont. • If your starting place is a specific situation

or think, consider the following questions:– What are the particular qualities of the

situation or thing?– How do those particular qualifiers match up

with an agreed-upon definition?

Writing Definitions Cont.

• If your starting place is a general term, consider the following questions:– What specific behaviors, attitudes, values,

policies, or qualities does the term involve?– What specific qualities differentiate it from

other like thinks?– What is its opposite?– Under what conditions does it thrive?– Under what conditions does it suffer?

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Entering argument—bridge an understanding between common conceptions of the topic and their own unique ideas.– Conducting Surveys– Researching Sources

• Periodical databases• Newspaper databases• Internet

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Inventing a Thesis– Argue that the particular situation, event,

show, etc., does or does not match a definition

– Argue that a common term is often misapplied or entirely misunderstood.

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Inventing Support—find support for your opinions– Examples– Scenarios– Allusions– Testimony– Lines of reasoning– Analogical reasoning– Appeals to value

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Arrangement– Where should I give my definition?– How should I counter opposing definitions?– Does a concession or qualifier have to go in

every argument? – How many other definitions should I include?– With all these different support strategies,

how do I know where they should go?

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Audience and Voice– Formality– Informality– Informality/formality

Writing Definitions Cont.

• Revision– Peer Review– Instructor comment

Arguing Causes

• When arguing causes, the writer is asking “Why did this happen?” and understanding the sophisticated causal arguments that go along with the answer.

• It is looking for assertions about causes, and different perspectives will generate different answers to this question.

Arguing Causes Cont.

• It is looking beyond the obvious causes to those lurking on the fringes or that might be overlooked.

Writing About Causes

• Starting Places:– local event or situation– particular behavior or trend in college life– particular political phenomenon– social phenomenon– popular culture phenomenon– situation in your academic discipline or career

field

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Analyzing the Situation– Personal– Social– Cultural– Political

• Need to lay some intellectual groundwork before diving into the topic.

Writing About Causes Cont.

– Questions• What are the most direct causes?• What economic or business conditions may have

figured in?• What attitudes, fears, or values may have initiated

it or indirectly supported it?• What people, organizations, or institution were

directly or indirectly involved?• Might some basic human need or fundamental

physical principle have played a part?

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Entering Argument– Look in periodical databases such as

EBSCOhost– Look on Internet search engines such as

Google. • If there is no clear debate, you are responsible for

making it. • If there are two sides, need to address the

supposed causes. • Don’t pick something that has been over-analyzed.

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Inventing a Thesis– Asserting a single cause—some have

preconditions, so clear them and find a single cause

– Asserting multiple causes—point to several causes instead of one when there are too many influencing factors.

– Transcending common wisdom—some things people will hold as widely held views but writer can open up new logic about the topic.

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Inventing Support:– Local authorities– Hidden layers– Questions:

• What line of reasoning must I establish and how do I support?

• What historical or current events or figures illustrate something about the topic?

• What local authority might help reveal something about the topic?

• What are the logical causes of the topic on the community—or broader society?

• What hidden, or indirect, factors can I describe?

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Arrangement– The thesis can be implied, but usually given

as the last sentence in the introduction– Figure how to use scientific research, but

don’t overwhelm readers.– If there are multiple causes, develop each in

its own paragraph.– Create the reader’s journey through the

argument.

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Audience and Voice– Voice and sentence variety– Voice and pronouns (stick to third person)

• Do not use statements like “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” etc. as these are not needed since the reader knows the writer is presenting what he/she thinks, feels, or believes.

Writing About Causes Cont.

• Revision– Review yourself– Peer Review– Instructor review