Argumentation: Keeping Faith with Reason

✍ Scribed by John P. Nordin; Edward Schiappa

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2024
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 378
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This extensively updated second edition provides a comprehensive introduction to argumentation skills for undergraduates. Clearly written, with minimal technical jargon, the book features many contemporary real-world examples. Through a unique conceptual framework, students will learn how to assemble a coherent logical argument, assess sources, organize, and present written and verbal arguments. The authors use the Toulmin model throughout to present issues and clarify concepts and have expanded the model to show how it can be used to examine real-world arguments. This new edition provides a deeper focus on value claims and credibility. It also shows students how to assess fake news, misinformation and post-truth and incorporates more social scientific theories of persuasion such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model. Argumentation: Keeping Faith with Reason is an ideal textbook for undergraduate courses in argumentation, persuasion, critical thinking, and informal logic. An Instructor's Manual including advice on how to teach each section, sample quizzes and additional examples is available at https: //routledge.com/9781032541228

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
List of figures and tables
Acknowledgements
PART I: Getting Started
1. Why Study Argument?
1.1. The alternatives to argumentat
1.2. Argumentation is a requirement for democracy
1.3. An asset for life
1.4. What this textbook is, and is not
1.5. How to use this textbook
2. What Is an Argument?
2.1. Introduction
2.2. The definition of an argument
2.3. The boundaries of argument
2.4. Implications of our definition
2.5. Argumentation requires sharing assumptions
2.6. Argumentation is a communal process for reaching a consensus
2.7. Conclusion
Summary of what is an argument
3. Dimensions of Proof
3.1. Introduction
3.2. The four dimensions: Three plus one
3.3. Assessing arguments
3.4. Choosing among the dimensions
3.5. Conclusion
Summary of the chapter
4. Modeling Arguments (the Toulmin Model)
4.1. Introduction
4.2. The model
4.3. Working with the model
4.4. Validity
4.5. Using multiple grounds
4.6. Argument networks
4.7. An exercise in crisp writing
4.8. Conclusion
Summarizing the Toulmin model
PART II: Analyzing Claims
5. Introduction to Claim Types
5.1. Introduction
5.2. The three types of claims
5.3. What type is it really?
5.4. Conclusion
6. Analyzing Fact Claims
6.1. Introduction
6.2. The challenge of finding the facts
6.3. Does truth exist that we all can know?
6.4. That’s just a theory
6.5. That’s just your opinion
6.6. Do we vote on truth?
6.7. Meanwhile, back in your world
6.8. Developing a fact claim
6.9. Conclusion
Summary of fact claims
7. Analyzing Value Claims
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Why value arguments are difficult
7.3. Facts and values
7.4. Clarifying types of values
7.5. Arguing values
7.6. Esthetic arguments
7.7. Examples of value disputes
7.8. Conclusion
Summarizing value claims
8. Analyzing Policy Claims
8.1. Introduction
8.2. What is a policy claim?
8.3. What is unique about policy claims?
8.4. Building your policy claim
8.5. Common fallacies and problems
8.6. Cases of complexity
8.7. Conclusion
Summarizing policy claims
PART III: Developing Your Argument
9. Kairos: The Context of Your Argument
9.1. Introduction
9.2. The audience: To whom are we communicating?
9.3. The medium of my message
9.4. The occasion
9.5. History
9.6. Assessing context
9.7. Case studies
9.8. Integrating the dimensions of Kairos: What is the persuasive task I face?
9.9. Changing the context
9.10. Conclusion
Summary of Kairos
10. Ethos: Developing Your Credibility
10.1. A necessary, inconsistent, confusing topic
10.2. Understanding credibility
10.3. Breaking down the concept
10.4. Time and credibility
10.5. Issues with credibility
10.6. Developing your credibility
10.7. Attacking credibility: The ad hominem argument
10.8. Case studies
10.9. Conclusion
Summary of ethos
11. Presenting Your Argument
11.1. Introduction
11.2. The Classical model for presenting an argument
11.3. Other argument structures
11.4. Additional argument structures
11.5. Choosing a model
11.6. An exercise in choosing how to present your argument
11.7. Practicalities
11.8. Conclusion
Summary of argument models
PART IV: Supporting and Defending Your Argument
12. Finding Evidence
12.1. Introduction
12.2. Finding evidence
12.3. Assessing evidence
12.4. Assessing special types of evidence
12.5. The Internet as a source
12.6. Further learning
13. Evidence and Your Argument
13.1. Introduction
13.2. Selecting evidence for your argument
13.3. How well is your argument supported?
13.4. Citing evidence
13.5. Listing sources
13.6. Creating evidence
13.7. Ten things that aren’t true
Summary of finding and using evidence
14. Rebutting Arguments
14.1. Introduction
14.2. Stasis theory: What are we arguing about?
14.3. The burden of proof
14.4. Ways of responding
14.5. Placing and framing your response
14.6. Rebuttals that aren’t actually rebuttals
14.7. Should you even engage at all?
14.8. Beyond winning and losing: Where rebuttal takes your argument
14.9. Famous rebuttals
14.10. Conclusion: Rebuttal as a way to truth
Summary of rebutting arguments
PART V: Forms of Reasoning
15. Introduction to Forms of Reasoning
15.1. The relationship of claim types and forms of reasoning
16. Definitional Arguments
16.1. Introduction
16.2. Types of definitional arguments
16.3. Defining a definition
16.4. Where do definitions come from?
16.5. Follow the money
16.6. “Well defined” for what context?
16.7. Defining and changing reality
16.8. Failing to be well defined
16.9. The role of pathos
16.10. A case study: What is the definition of a “woman”
16.11. For further study
16.12. Conclusion
Summary of definitional arguments
17. Argument by Example
17.1. Introduction
17.2. Understanding argument by example
17.3. Informal reasoning by example
17.4. Statistics: Formal argument by example
17.5. How argument by example can go wrong
17.6. Contemporary issues
17.7. Famous arguments by example
17.8. Conclusion
Summary of argument by example
18. Argument by Analogy and Parallel Case
18.1. Introduction
18.2. What are we talking about?
18.3. Argument by (figurative) analogy
Summary of argument by (figurative) analogy
18.4. Argument by a parallel case
18.5. Argument by precedent
Summary of argument by parallel case
18.6. Extended analogy
18.7. Conclusion
Summary of the chapter
19. Causal Argument
19.1. Introduction
19.2. Can you prove anything?
19.3. What sort of causation is it?
19.4. Correlation, causation, and controlled experiments
19.5. Explaining our data: Theories about causal links
19.6. Beyond “X causes Y”
19.7. Causal arguments in value claims
19.8. Issues in causal arguments
19.9. Famous causal arguments
19.10. Case studies for further investigation
19.11. Conclusion
Summary of causal arguments
20. Argument from Sign
20.1. Introduction
20.2. The structure of this form of reasoning
20.3. Case study: The economy
20.4. What makes an argument by sign valid?
20.5. Arguing about signs
20.6. Famous arguments from the sign
20.7. Examples for further study
20.8. Conclusion
Summary of argument from sign
21. Argument by Dilemma
21.1. Introduction
21.2. Understanding argument by dilemma
21.3. Issues with argument by dilemma
21.4. Making and defending your argument
21.5. Case study: Civil liberties vs. national security
21.6. A famous dilemma: Socrates in Plato’s dialogues
21.7. The greater fallacy of dualistic thinking
21.8. Conclusion
Summary of argument by dilemma
22. Argument from Authority
22.1. Introduction
22.2. Why do we need this?
22.3. Understanding argument from authority
22.4. Developing an argument from authority
22.5. Issues with the argument from authority
22.6. For further discussion
22.7. A growing issue
22.8. Conclusion
Summary of argument from authority
PART VI: Conclusion
23. Remember This
23.1. What does it boil down to?
23.2. The six things
23.3. A few final thoughts
Index