Argument quiz

How do you build an argument?

1. Present the issue

2. State your writer’s thesis

3. Support your claim

4. Acknowledge and respond to real or possible opposing views

-make final summary of the evidence

Emotional fallacies

Unfairly appeal to the audience’s emotions

Ethical fallacies

Unreasonably advance the writer’s own authority/character

Logical fallacies

Faulty logic

Either/or arguements (emotional)

Writer claims that there are only 2 possibilities, when in reality there are more

Slippery slopes (emotional)

Suggests that one step will inevitably lead to more, eventually negative steps

Bandwagon appeals/ad populum (emotional)

Tries to get everyone on board. Writer convinces reader that everyone believes something, so the reader should too

Red Harrings (emotional)

Use of misleading/unrelated evidence to support a conclusion

Scare tactics (emotional)

Trying to frighten people into agreeing with arguer by threatening them/predicting unrealistically dire consequences

Overgeneralization (logical)

Stereotyping, writer draws conclusions about a large number of people, ideas, things, based on very limited evidence

Non Sequitur (logical)

Does not follow, conclusion does not follow from premise

Circular Reasoning (logical)

Restates the premise rather than giving a reason for holding that premise

Faulty analogies (logical)

Using similar situations to explain a relationship, leads to faulty conclusions

Begging the Question (logical)

Writer assumes in his/her thesis something that really remains to be proved

Hasty Generalization (logical)

Draws conclusions about an entire group based on evidence that is too insufficient

Post Hoc (logical)

Cites an unrelated event that occurred earlier as the cause of the current situation

False authority (ethical)

Used in advertising. An authority in one field may know nothing about another field

Ad Hominem (ethical)

To argue against the man. Attacks the person rather than dealing with issue under discussion

Using authority instead of evidence (ethical)

Occurs when someone offers personal authority instead of proof

Guilt by association (ethical)

Calls someone’s character into question by examining the character of that person’s associates

Dogmatism (ethical)

Shuts down discussion by asserting that the writer’s beliefs are the only acceptable ones