Argumentation Arguing When you argue you are simply

Argumentation

Arguing When you argue, you are simply having a conversation with someone, and you are convincing the person to follow your point of view. Our society has shown us that “arguing” is about fighting with words. Although the societal teaching is one view to the word “argue, ” it is not the only view. Arguing is not featured in a competition. Arguing is involved with persuasion.

Logos, Ethos, and Pathos When you argue, you simply provide logical explanations to support your claim(s). We consider this to be the logos, using logic that may be demonstrated from factual information When you argue, you simply appeal to the audience’s emotions. We consider this to be the pathos, using imagery and personal experiences to draw the audience into your argument emotionally. When you argue, you simply prove that you are a credible source. We consider this to be the ethos, using information that shows you have a right to discuss the topic you are developing and using information that proves you to be a worthy person the audience should believe.

Example of Logos from King’s Letter Remember that most arguments or all arguments make use of logos, pathos, and/or ethos. From Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King provides an example of logos, which deals with “logic”: “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. . . just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. ” (King, par. 3)

Breakdown of Logos’ Example Logically, King notices how Paul felt compelled to deliver the people from their sins by teaching and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. The situation in King’s time resembles the situation of Paul’s time: King notices injustice taking place in his time, and he feels compelled to usher African Americans toward a gospel of freedom. Logically, he shows that his actions are no different from the Apostle Paul’s actions; deliverance needed to take place then, and deliverance needs to take place now.

Example of Pathos from King’s Letter Dr. King provides an example of pathos, which deals with appealing to the audience’s emotions: “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; . . . when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality. . . then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. ” (par. 12)

Breakdown of Pathos’ Example Emotionally, King attempts to get his audience to understand the cruelty African Americans have endured, suffered from, and (overall) experienced. A cruelty that he deems appropriate to describe as dark as the emotion many African Americans felt. Here, King is appealing to the audience’s emotions in order to convince them that the injustice that has taken place and the injustice that is taking place is not something a group of people should inflict and is not something a group of people should receive. Specifically, he uses the exchange between a father and daughter to expose the harsh truth of inequality. He uses the daughter’s devastation because little girls tend to have a sweet spot in any person’s heart. Of course, the letter includes many examples of pathos that transcend the example I grabbed for the previous slide.

Example of Ethos from King’s Letter Dr. King provides an example of ethos, which deals with the credibility of the speaker/author: “Dear Fellow Clergymen. . . I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eight five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. ” (par. 1 and 2)

Breakdown of Ethos’ Example Because we are dealing with the credibility of the speaker (as in, checking to see if the speaker is a valid source to believe), the example on the previous slide provides background information about King, himself. Notice the salutation/greeting: “Dear Fellow Clergymen. ” He uses “fellow” to indicate to his audience that he also is a priest who practices religious traditions. Also notice how he gives information about his ministry outside of the church, for he holds the title of “president” in the organization, Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He presents to this audience his accomplishments and his title to help them understand that he is the appropriate person who has every right to conduct demonstrations in Birmingham and that he is a person who holds the same Christian values as them.

The Purpose So what am I saying? Your argument, whatever it may be, will have all or any of the three appeals of argument: logos, pathos, and ethos. However, you are not to indicate that you are using either appeal of argument. The point of me expressing to you the three appeals of argument is to help you understand another dimension of argumentative writing. You will notice, as you read through King’s letter, that he doesn’t point out which appeal of argument he is using in his letter, so I do not expect for you to take the time to point which appeal of argument you are using in argumentative paper. I simply want you to tap into understanding what works when it comes to you supporting the claims you make in your argumentative essay.

Understanding Argumentation as a Whole Your thesis statement must make an argument. Your thesis statement must be supported. The key component to your argumentative essay is that you must include both your argument and opposing points of view. You have to anticipate your audience’s opposing viewpoint. For example…

Here Is a Potential Outline Thesis: Cats make better pets than dogs ( my argument). I: Cats “clean” themselves and dogs lick themselves ( my first supporting claim). Cats still need baths just as much as dogs ( what I anticipate will be the opposing viewpoint to my claim about cats cleaning themselves). II: Cats are small enough to carry and dogs are big and heavy ( my second supporting claim). Not all dogs are big and heavy ( what I anticipate will be the opposing viewpoint to my claim about size and weight). IV: Cats do not meow loud enough to disturb the household’s bedtime ( my third supporting claim). Dogs bark to alarm the household about nearby danger ( what I anticipate will be the opposing viewpoint to my claim about disturbing the household). Conclusion: Dogs aren‘t as adorable and manageable as cats.

What to Gather from Outline Notice how each supporting claim that I plan to describe and develop in my essay has an opposing point of view. Your very own argumentative essay must have your claims and the opposing points of view to those claims. A way to transition into an opposing viewpoint would be to say something like, “Now, some people may disagree with me. Some of them may believe that…” Or, you might try something like, “On the other hand, others may find my statement unreal because they may think that…”

Organization of an Argumentation Essay Please keep the following ideas in mind as you type your argumentative essay: There is no true organizing pattern / structure of an argumentation. Supporting paragraphs may have a mixture of comparison and contrast, classification, division, and cause and effect. Consider the argumentative essay as a synthesis of all modes of writing you have completed thus far in the semester.