RHE 306: Rhetoric and Writing

Formal: Many dictionary definitions are formal definitions. To make a strong argument, construct a formal definition with specific criteria that your audience will accept. The key is to get your audience to agree to your criteria.

Operational: Many concepts cannot be easily defined by formal definitions. Often operational definitions must be constructed for use in research.

From Example: The key to arguing a definition from examples is that the example must strike the audience as in some way typical of the concept, even if the situation is unusual.

Is wearing animal fur unethical?
Is keeping animals in zoos cruelty to animals?
Is euthanasia murder?
Is cheerleading a sport?

Pornography or art?

Letter from a Birmingham jail

Causal Arguments
Effective causal arguments move beyond the obvious to get at underlying causes.

X caused Y because of A, B or C.

Here Y is the phenomenon or event that is caused by X.
You have a causal chain when you argue that X caused Y, which in turn caused Z.

Wars robbing youths of schools

Longetivity and where you live

An inconvenient Truth?
Silent Spring?

Evaluation Arguments
Evaluation arguments depend on the criteria you select.
The key in writing evaluative arguments is first deciding what kind of criteria to use.
X is/or is not a good/ effective/ successful/ workable Y because it meets/ fails to meet criteria A, B or C.
Here's an example

Evaluative criteria for evaluation:
Practical
Aesthetic
Ethical

Bicycle safety

Proposal arguments
Proposal arguments are the most common arguments. They call for action. They call upon the audience to make a decision and do something.

They are also known as 'should' or 'ought' arguments. For example:

We should do X
We ought to do Y

Narrative Arguments
Using narration to make an argument

Rebuttal Arguments
Challenging a widely held belief or the challenging the basis of an argument.

Position Arguments
Taking a clear position on a controversial issue

Class Notes (01)

Submitted by LyndaBoudreault on Thu, 2006-10-05 18:49.

Introduction

Class Notes

Submitted by LyndaBoudreault on Tue, 2006-10-03 21:45.

What is an argument?
What is rhetoric?
Types of arguments

Welcome to RHE 306 Rhetoric and Writing

Submitted by LyndaBoudreault on Thu, 2006-08-31 14:28.

RHE 306 Rhetoric and Writing is a course in argumentation that situates rhetoric as an art of civic discourse. It is designed to enhance your ability to analyze various positions held in any public debate and to advocate your own position effectively. Your work in this course will help you advance the critical writing and reading skills you need to succeed in courses for your major and university degree.

You will learn how to:
•Identify, evaluate, construct, and organize effective arguments;
•Read critically;
•Advocate a specific position responsibly;
•Conduct library and web-based research and document sources;
•Produce and clean, efficient style and adapt it to various rhetorical situations;
•Edit and proofread your own and others’ prose

Textbooks and Materials:
Lessig, Lawrence, Free Culture
Faigley, Lester and Jack Selzer, Good Reasons (Third Edition) (GR)
Faigley, Lester, The Little Penguin Handbook (LPH)