Understanding Judgments, Issues, and Argumentative Essays

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions from the lecture notes related to judgments, issues, and writing argumentative essays.

What are factual judgments based on?

Observed facts or quantitative analysis.

What do value judgments express?

Statements of opinion based on personal preferences or relative morality.

What distinguishes social issues from moral issues?

Social issues involve common problems many strive to solve, while moral issues concern personal values and beliefs.

Give an example of a social issue.

Overpopulation.

What is a moral issue?

Concerns internal values and beliefs that are often subjective.

What does a hasty generalization entail?

Making assumptions about a whole group based on inadequate samples.

Define slippery slope argumentation.

Claiming a chain reaction will occur leading to dire consequences without enough evidence.

What is post hoc reasoning?

Assuming a cause-and-effect relationship between two unrelated events.

What is an appeal to authority?

Referring to known personalities to support a claim without their expertise in the matter.

List the four types of evidence.

Statistical, testimonial, anecdotal, and analogical evidence.

What characterizes statistical evidence?

It is the strongest type and consists of numbers or surveyed data.

How does testimonial evidence differ from other types?

It often involves endorsements from celebrities or experts.

What is anecdotal evidence?

Personal stories or experiences used as examples, often dismissed as untrustworthy.

What is analogical evidence considered?

The weakest type of evidence used when information is scarce.

What is the purpose of an argumentative essay?

To persuade the audience to agree with a particular viewpoint using reasons and evidence.

What are the five types of argument claims in an essay?

Fact, definition, value, cause and effect, and policy.

Describe what the introductory paragraph of an argumentative essay should include.

A hook, background information, evidence outline, and a thesis statement.

What does a thesis statement provide?

A concise summary of the main point and claim of the essay.

What is a conclusion in an argumentative essay?

A summary of arguments that appeals to the reader's emotions without introducing new facts.

What are conclusion indicators?

Words or phrases that signal the conclusion, such as therefore or thus.

Define premise indicators.

Words that introduce the premise, such as since or because.