Reviews the definition of an argument, parts of an argument, explains some basics of analyzing and constructing arguments

1. Overview of the parts of an
argument
Claim, Support, Warrant

2. What is an argument?
• An argument is an attempt to convince
or persuade someone to accept a claim
by offering reasons, evidence and
appeals to the audience’s needs and
values.
• Understood this way an argument has
three main elements.

3. 3 Elements
• Claim- what you are trying to prove
• Support—reasons and evidence offered
to support the claim
• Warrants-underlying assumptions that
link the support and the claim.
• Sometimes warrants are argued for but
often they are assumed.

4. Types of Claims
• Claims of fact including predictions,
interpretations, statements of cause
and effect
• Claims of value including evaluations
and ethical arguments
• Claims of policy—claims about the right
course of action

5. Types of support
• Facts and statistics
• Examples, real and hypothetical
• Expert testimony
• Textual or visual evidence
• Analogies or comparisons
• Appeals to the needs and values of the
audience

6. Types of Warrants include
• Assumptions about the reliability of
authorities or data
• Assumptions about the relevance and
representativeness of examples
• Assumptions about how to interpret the
evidence
• Assumptions about cause and effect
relationships

7. Types of Warrants continued
• Assumptions about two situations being
comparable or analogous
• Assumptions about values

8. When evaluating arguments
• You need to consider the evidence and
whether it is credible, sufficient and
relevant.
• You need to consider the warrants
(even if they are unstated). It is possible
to accept the evidence and still reject
the claim if you do not agree with the
warrant.

9. Other kinds of analysis
• Arguments also can be analyzed in
terms of the audience they are aimed
at, the context in which they are written,
and the kinds of appeals to character,
logic, and values and emotions they
make.

10. • Logos-Appeal to reason--emphasizes
the subject matter of the argument with
supporting reasons and evidence
• Pathos-Appeal to emotion-focuses on
what the audience values or fears and
tries to move them emotionally
• Ethos-Appeal to authority or character--
emphasizes the credibility of the
speaker or writer
3 means of persuasion

11. Four Pillars of Academic Argument
• Thesis statement
• Evidence
• Refutation of opposing views
• Concluding statement to reinforce your
position