Argumentation & Debate

• Argument as a communicative process involves claims, reasons, and evidence
• Main reasons why people engage in arguments:

  • Clarifying thinking
  • Explaining beliefs
  • Problem-solving
  • Enjoyment
• Differentiation between oral and written arguments:

  • Oral arguments disappear once spoken, making memory crucial
  • Written arguments can be referenced repeatedly, aiding comprehension
• Definition and distinction between claims, reasons, support, and warrants
• Application of argumentative skills to real-world scenarios like societal debates or policy discussions
• Development of critical thinking skills by analyzing and interpreting data, evidence, and inferences within arguments
• Argumentation is a social process involving two or more individuals responding to each other's claims and support
• Argumentation aims to gain adherence from an audience to persuade them to act on the advanced claim
• Argument is considered an art with techniques and general principles
• Argument involves contested issues and persuasion as a central goal
• Argument fills much of our lives, dominating decision-making processes
• Four main reasons why people argue:

  • To clarify thinking
  • To explain or defend actions or beliefs
  • To solve problems or make judgments
  • To have fun
• Oral arguments differ from written arguments in terms of memory and physicality
• Four general components of arguments:

  • Claims
  • Reasons
  • Support
  • Warrants
• Claims are statements about what is true or good, potentially arguable
• Reasons support a claim, making it more than a mere assertion
• Support substantiates reasons and compels audiences to accept the claim
• Warrants connect the support to the claim, often assumed and rarely articulated
• Example of an argument with claim, reason, support, and warrant provided