Qualifying Claims and Argumentation

Vocabulary terms related to qualifying claims, argumentative strategies, and rhetorical credibility as discussed in Dawn Knight's English lecture.

Argument

Making an assertion or thesis and then supporting it with evidence while entering into an ongoing conversation about a subject.

Refutation

The act of using evidence to show that someone is wrong about something.

Rebuttal

The act of presenting one's own side of an issue.

Concession

The act of acknowledging other points of view of an issue.

Black and white

A way of seeing issues as absolute, or strictly yes/no and pro/con, without acknowledging complexities.

Shades of gray

The space where a writer acknowledges the complexities of an issue and recognizes that other perspectives may have valid ideas.

Credibility

The quality of being trusted or believed, illustrated when a writer shows they are well-informed and understand multiple perspectives.

Qualifying a claim

The process of using refutation, rebuttal, and concession to illustrate the complexity of an argument and increase writer credibility.