Transcript Document

Most of the material in this presentation is taken directly or adapted from Stephen Toulmin’s The Uses of Argument. Jurgen Habermas differentiates between ideological
and argumentative warrants in his Theory of Communicative Action, Vol 1: Reason and the Rationalization of Society. Richard Weaver maps arguments by definition and
circumstance vis-à-vis American political positions in The Ethics of Rhetoric.
Datum: “The ground which we produce as support for the original assertion.”
Claim:
The argument finally asserted.
Example
Warrant: The “bridge” or hypothetical connection between datum and claim.
Form
D
So C
Harry was born in
Bermuda
So
Harry is a British
Subject
Since
Since W
A Man born in Bermuda will be a
British subject
Used to express a warrant’s contingency.
Modal Qualifiers:
Form
D
Example
Conditions for Rebuttal: Also used to express a warrant’s contingency
So Q, C
Since W
Harry was born in
Bermuda
So, presumably
Harry is a
British
Subject
Since
Unless R
Unless
A Man born in Bermuda will
generally be a British subject
Both of his parents were
aliens/ he as become a
naturalized American/ …
Form
D
Supports the warrant when there is no popularly accepted assurance
of its connection between data and claim
Example
Backing:
Harry was born in
Bermuda
So, presumably
Since
Unless
So Q, C
Since W
Unless R
A Man born in Bermuda will
generally be a British subject
On account of
On account of
B
Harry is a
British
Subject
The following legal
provisions: …
Both of his parents were
aliens/ he as become a
naturalized American/ …
Warrant Establishing Arguments: Inductive arguments moving from
specific examples to general premises
Specific
General
Warrant Using Arguments: Deductive arguments moving from general
premise to either a specific instance, or another
general premise
General
Specific
General
General
Enthymemes in Schafly’s Article: If the administration doesn't start
construction on the fence before Nov. 7, we can assume that the passage
and signing of a fence bill were just pre-election posturing to fool voters.
Example
(paragraph 5)
Form
D
So C
Since W
The administration doesn’t start
construction on the fence before
Nov. 7th.
So
Since
We can assume
the passage and
signage of the
fence bill were
just pre-election
posturing to
fool voters.
Whenever politicians promote and pass popular
legislation before an important election but don’t make
efforts to put that legislation into effect, they are trying
to win votes, not trying to implement good policy.
Enthymemes in Schafly’s Article: At least two-thirds of the illegal
Example
immigrants in the United States, as well as those who would benefit by
the president's guest-worker plan, likewise do not have a high school
education, so they are in direct competition with native-born Americans
Form
D
So C
Since W
At least two-thirds of the
illegal immigrants in the
United States, as well as
those who would benefit by Since
the president’s guestworker program, likewise
do not have a high school
education.
So
They are in direct
competition with
native-born
Americans
Many native-born Americans do not have high-school
educations themselves, so they will need jobs that
similarly educated immigrants attain.
Example
Enthymemes in Schafly’s Article: The number of young - ages 16 to 34 - native-born
American men who were employed declined by 1.7 million, while over the same
period, the number of new male immigrant workers increased by 1.9 million. If jobs
held by new immigrant males aged 16 to 34 were made available to jobless native-born
males, then the job deficit among our native-born males would be completely
eliminated.
Form
D
So C
Since W
The number of young - ages
16 to 34 - native-born
American men who were
employed declined by 1.7
million, while over the same
period, the number of new
male immigrant workers
increased by 1.9 million.
So
Since
If jobs held by new
immigrant males aged
16 to 34 were made
available to jobless
native-born males,
then the job deficit
among our native-born
males would be
completely eliminated.
The decline in employment among native-born
Americans is a direct result of non-native-born
workers taking jobs that would otherwise be available
to and desirable for native-born Americans.
Example
Enthymemes in Schafly’s Article: The failure of President Bush to carry out his
constitutional duty to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," e.g., the laws
against illegal entry, illegal hiring and illegal documents, gives the lie to his famous
boast that he is a compassionate conservative. His failure shows that he is not only not
conservative; he is not compassionate.
Form
D
So C
Since W
The failure of President
So
Bush to carry out his
constitutional duty to "take
Since
care that the laws be
faithfully executed," e.g.,
the laws against illegal
entry, illegal hiring and
illegal documents,
gives the lie to his
famous boast that he
is a compassionate
conservative. His
failure shows that
he is not only not
conservative; he is
not compassionate.
* Someone who is conservative must stop illegal entry into
the country.
* Someone who is compassionate must care for the citizens
of that country.
* Failure to enact laws against illegal entry hurts American
citizens.
Form
Specific
Example
Examples in Schafly’s Article: A fence is just the first step that must be followed by a
greatly increased border-patrol force, Social Security verification of employees, and
tracking of visitors who become illegal immigrants when they overstay their visas.But,
as Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said, border fencing is a "critical component." The
triple-layered fence that was finally built near San Diego has led to a 70 percent drop in
illegal immigration there.
General
The triple-layered fence
that was finally built
near San Diego has led
to a 70 percent drop in
illegal immigration
there.
A fence is just the
first step that must
be followed by a
greatly increased
border-patrol force,