Everything you need to know to ace Big Idea 2!
Argument
A coherent set of reasons, statements, or facts intended to support or establish a point of view.
Claim
An assertion, typically supported by evidence, made in argumentation.
Counterclaim
An argument made to refute or oppose another argument.
Premise
A statement upon which an argument is based or from which a conclusion is drawn.
Conclusion
The end or finish of an argument or process; the statement that logically follows the premises.
Evidence
Information used to support a claim in the context of an argument.
Reasoning
The action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way to form a conclusion or judgment.
Validity
The extent to which an argument or claim is logical.
Soundness
The quality of an argument when it is both valid and its premises are true.
Inductive Reasoning
Making a generalization based on specific evidence at hand.
Deductive Reasoning
The process of reasoning from one or more general statements (premises) to reach a logically certain conclusion.
Causal Argument
An argument that seeks to explain the effect as a result of a cause.
Analogical Argument
An argument that compares two similar situations, implying that the outcome of one is likely to be similar to the outcome of the other.
Fallacy
A mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument.
Ad Hominem
A fallacy that attacks the person rather than addressing the argument or the issue.
Straw Man
A fallacy in which an opponent's argument is overstated or misrepresented in order to be more easily attacked or refuted.
Appeal to Authority
A fallacy in which an argument is based on unsound appeal to authority.
Appeal to Emotion
A fallacy that manipulates emotions in order to win an argument, especially in the absence of factual evidence.
Circular Reasoning
A fallacy in which the conclusion is included in the premise of the argument.
Hasty Generalization
A fallacy in which a conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence.
Red Herring
A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
A fallacy that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A'.
Slippery Slope
A fallacy that suggests that a small first step leads to a chain of related events culminating in some significant effect.
False Dilemma
A fallacy in which only two choices are presented yet more exist, or a spectrum of possible choices exists between two extremes.
Overgeneralization
A fallacy that makes a conclusion based on too little evidence.
Rhetorical Devices
Techniques used to enhance arguments, persuade audiences, or add literary quality.
Pathos
An appeal to emotion in argumentation.
Ethos
An appeal to ethics, character, or credibility in argumentation.
Logos
An appeal to logic or reason in argumentation.
Thesis Statement
A statement that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is supported by reasons and evidence.
Context
The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.
Stakeholders
The people or groups who have an interest, concern, or stake in the issue being discussed.
Bias
A prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Subjectivity
The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
Objectivity
The quality of being objective, unbiased, and not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
Qualifier
A word or phrase, especially an adjective, used to attribute a quality to another word, especially a noun.
Rebuttal
A refutation or contradiction.
Synthesize
To combine a number of different parts or ideas to come up with a new idea or theory.
Interpretation
The action of explaining the meaning of something.
Persuasion
The action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something.