Argument Basics

1
Argument Basics

• Argument consists of premise and conclusion.

2
What is argument?

• Reasoning has premises with conclusions.
• What are the premise and the conclusion in the
  cartoon on education?

3
Premise and Conclusion

• The premise is that it is hard for kids to fit in
  at school.
• The conclusion is that a game like musical chairs
  only makes it harder to fit in.

4
Argument Premise? Conclusion

• Is it funny that a college graduate has become a
  cook?
• In the cartoon, what are the premise and the
  conclusion?

5
Argument Premise? Conclusion

• Premise Graduates get good jobs.
• Premise Fine arts majors dont.
• Conclusion At college, dont take the Fine arts
  major.

6
Authors may not statethe premises.

• Sometimes authors state their case without
  providing a stated premise.
• For example, a professor may tell a student You
  can pass this course easily.
• What is the professors unstated premise?
• The student already knows everything.
• The professor will pass the student no matter how
  well the student scores.
• The professor believes that the student is able
  to learn enough to pass the course.

7
Authors dont always give their reasons.

• If a professor states You can pass this course
  easily.
• The unstated premise is probably that
• The student already knows everything.
• The professor will pass the student no matter how
  well the student scores.
• The professor believes that the student is able
  to learn enough to pass the course.

8
What are dependent premises?

• Dependent premises need help to support the
  conclusion.
• Minnie says that she shot Mickey because she
  couldnt stand his voice anymore.
• Will the police accept her premise as enough?
• Or will they ask her to present more reasons for
  having shot Mickey?

9
What are independent premises?

• Independent premises dont need another premise
  to provide support for a conclusion.
• Which are the independent premises here?
• Can there be more than one independent premise?
• Science is based on experiment,
• on a willingness to challenge old dogma,
• on an openness to see the universe as it is.
• Accordingly, science can require courage.

10
There can be more than one independent premise.

• Independent premises dont need another premise
  to provide support for a conclusion.
• The independent premises here are
• Science is based on experiment,
• on a willingness to challenge old dogma,
• on an openness to see the universe as it is.
• Accordingly, science can require courage.

Does it take courage to experiment and change
how we see things?
11
Premises have lead-ins.

• What are the lead-in words that indicate
  premises?
• Since apples taste good, Ill eat one now.
• For your future, you must study today.
• In view of your many traffic tickets, your
  drivers license has been suspended.
• Because of paying attention, you have learned to
  write good essays.

12
Premises have lead-ins.

• The lead-in words that indicate premises or
  reasons are
• Since apples taste good, Ill eat one now.
• For your future, you must study today.
• In view of your many traffic tickets, your
  drivers license has been suspended.
• Because of your paying attention, you have
  learned to write good essays.

13
Premises may be irrelevant.

• Is it relevant to tell the judge that you were
  speeding because you were insane?
• Wont he find the premise irrelevant?

14
Stated and Unstated Conclusions

• Why did the policeman stop the driver?
• What is the drivers reaction?
• Is the policemans conclusion stated or unstated?

15
Controversial Conclusions

• Are the findings of all medical studies correct?
• Do you believe that life is bad for you?
• Is the conclusion especially controversial?

16
Conclusions may have lead-ins.

• Why does the boy want the man to tell about
  himself?
• Which keyword does the boy use to introduce his
  conclusion?

17
Conclusions Repeat Words

• What is the girl doing?
• To whom is she complaining?
• Which word introduces the change in her prayer?

18
Premises must tie to conclusions.

• What does the bum want?
• Is he just too optimistic?
• Which conclusion makes more sense?

19
When the premise mismatches the conclusion.

• Why is Billy getting only
• half paid?
• Will he trust his dad anymore?
• In conclusion, should he demand a written
  contract?

20
Can you match the vocabulary?

• Unit 4 Lesson 3
• coincide-happen together
• deviation-change
• format-layout
• norm-rule
• preliminary-beginning

__1. Eds vacation time will __ with his wife's
time off. __2. The test results deviated so
clearly from the __ that the teacher decided not
to use them. __3. The __ results of her research
were disappointing, but later findings were
promising. __4. Jorge found the __ of that
computer program to be rather confusing. __5. No
__ from the rules will be allowed during the exam.
21
Can you match the vocabulary?

• Unit 4 Lesson 3
• Coincide
• Deviation
• Format
• Norm
• Preliminary

A 1. Eds vacation time will __ with his wife's
time off. D 2. The test results deviated so
clearly from the __ that the teacher decided not
to use them. E 3. The __ results of her research
were disappointing, but later findings were
promising. C 4. Jorge found the __ of that
computer program to be rather confusing. B 5. No
__ from the rules will be allowed during the exam.