Principle and Consequence Brainstorming Reasons When people try

Principle and Consequence Brainstorming Reasons

§ When people try to come up with reasons Intro to back up their thesis, they sometimes come up against a blank wall and have no idea where to begin. However, looking at some common strategies for coming up with reasons will often aid the person greatly. Below are two common strategies for coming up with reasons: arguing from principle and arguing from consequence

§ Principle: § What do you mean by principle? A principle is usually thought of as a value we live by. Examples of principles might include things like fairness and compassion or may include more complex things like the principles outlined in our American Constitution: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or having a fair trial. Usually when someone argues from principle, the person's reasons will point out that a certain idea or action either upholds or violates some principle.

§ For example, if a person were to argue that the death penalty must be abolished in every state in the US, this person may support that thesis with a reason that may look something like this: § Example The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. § When someone produces a reason like this, they are arguing from principle because that person is essentially claiming that the death penalty violates the principle of not using cruel and unusual punishments against those convicted of a crime (a principle found in the United States Constitution).

What do you mean by consequence? § Consequence: § When a person argues from consequence, the person usually points out the result, either positive or negative, of a specific action.

§ For example, if a person were to continue to argue for the abolishment of the death penalty in all US states, this person may come up with a reason like this: § Example By continuing to use the death penalty, we may accidentally kill an innocent person. § When someone produces a reason like this, it's an argument from consequence. In this case, the person looks at what may happen if we do not get rid of the death penalty and sees the possibility of a wrongfully convicted person being executed and uses that as an argument against the death penalty.

§ After looking at these two strategies, a In closing writer can then ask himself or herself if his or her thesis can be supported by reasons generated by one or both of these strategies, which may allow the writer to move past the blank wall that the writer initially experienced in trying to come up with reasons.