Countering vs Counterargument Countering Counteringpointing out the differences

Countering vs. Counterargument

Countering • Countering=pointing out the differences between a text and your own argument, or “reading against the grain of a text…thinking through the limits and problems of other views and texts. ” (6) • “Yes, but…” or “On the other hand…” • Three methods of countering: • “Arguing the other side” • Calling to attention an undefined/unexamined term or idea • “Dissenting”-noting a shared idea and discussing its limits

Countering Example • Berger pp. 53 -54: “We can now begin to see the difference between nakedness and nudity in the European tradition. In his book on The Nude Kenneth Clark maintains that to be naked is simply to be without clothes, whereas the nude is a form of art. According to him, the nude is not the starting point of a way of a painting, but a way of seeing which the painting achieves. To some degree, this is truealthough the way of seeing “a nude” is not necessarily confined to art: there also nude photographs, nude poses, nude gestures. What is true is that the nude is always conventionalizedand the authority for its conventions derives from a certain tradition of art. What do these conventions mean? What does a nude signify? It is not sufficient to answer these questions merely in terms of the art-form, for it is quite clear that the nude also relates to lived sexuality. To be naked is to be oneself. To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself. A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become a nude. (The sight of it as an object stimulates the use of it as an object. ) Nakedness reveals itself. Nudity is placed on display. To be naked is to be without disguise. To be on display is to have the surfaces of one’s own skin, the hairs of one’s own body, turned into a disguise which, in that situation, can never be discarded. The nude is condemned to never be naked. Nudity is a form of dress. ”

Counterarguments • Using a Counterargument= including the criticism that others might have on your argument in your writing in a way that enhances your argument rather than retracting from it • Adds to your credibility • Shows that you’re broadminded and unbiased

Counterargument Tips • Refer by name to specific people, ideas, or schools of thought that would critic your argument • Or use the skeptical voice yourself • Eg Carr p. 326 - “Maybe I’m just a worrywart. ” • Don’t mock the other viewpoint • Only challenge the ideas of the other side that you don’t agree with • Say both “Yes and No” • Support your counterargument with valid evidence • They Say/I Say p. 38 -Chermin quotes researched studies to back up her view

Counterargument Example • Antonia Peacocke, “Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious” (Sample Essay from They Say/I Say, pp. 145 -159: • “Soon, though, I found myself forced to give Family Guy a chance. It was simply everywhere: my brother and many of my friends watched it religiously, and its devoted fans relentlessly proselytized for it. In case you have any doubts about its immense popularity, consider these facts. On Facebook, the universal forum for my generation, there are currently 23 separate Family Guy fan groups with a combined membership of 1, 669 people (compared with only 6 groups protesting against Family Guy, with 105 members total)…. Among the public and within the industry, the show receives fantastic acclaim; it has won eight awards, including three primetime Emmys (IMDb). Most importantly, each time it was cancelled fans provided the brute force necessary to get it back on the air. In 2000, online campaigns did the trick; in 2002, devotees demonstrated outside Fox Studios, refused to watch the Fox network, and boycotted any companies that advertised on it (Moloney). ” (149 -50)

Class Activity • Find a passage in any of the essays that we’ve previously discussed that you see as problematic. This passage could be a place where you simply disagree with the main point, recognize a relevant point that the author did not take into account, or see where what the author is saying has changed. • Take a shot at countering this passage. What is problematic about the argument there? What aspect(s) of his or her idea have not been addressed? • Take a few minutes and discuss your work with your table-mates.