Making an Argument
Taken from The Little Red Schoolhouse
IDS 101-27 College Colloquium: Algorithmic Art, Fall 2012
- Claim: “What do you want me to do or think?”
- Reasons: “Why should I do or think that?”
- Evidence: “How do I know that what you say is true?"
- Alternative View: “What about this other idea, fact, or conclusion?”
- Warrent: And, sometimes, “Why should I accept that your reasons support your claim, i.e. what general principles ground your argument?
To better understand how these are to be applied, you should work through the
explanations and exercises beginning at Argument Starts Here - LRS in the Wild.
Keep following the green "Next Section" links until you have completed all 4 sections:
- See it In Writing
- The Basic Principle
- See How it Works
- Try it Out
Making a Claim
Make a claim that resolves a problem
- most readers are unlikely to take interest in a claim that they've heard a thousand times before, or that they find
irrelevant, outrageous or impossible.
- The strongest claims explain how your argument addresses a problem that your readers
care about. To do this, you'll not only need to show your readers that you recognize the problems
that they'll take seriously; you'll also need to make sure you're claiming that you can help your
readers rethink or resolve their problems.
- readers will find your claim especially compelling if they think you can help them not only rethink
old problems, but also resolve them.
Make a claim worthy of an argument:
- A claim is contestable when it is not self-evidently true, or if a reader can disagree with it. Contestable claims need to be proven, giving your readers a reason to look at your argument more closely.
- A claim is supportable when it is not simply an opinion or speculation. Supportable claims can be argued with by pointing to evidence.