Ch 10: Definitional and Categorical Arguments

X Is / Is Not a Y

Definitional Arguments:Logos, ethos, pathos

• Logos in “X is/is not a Y” works in the criteria/match structure. If a = b and c = b, then a = c. If the criteria match both Y and X, then X must be an instance of Y.

• Ethos and Pathos in “X is/is not a Y” work as usual– Establish credibility

– Build bridge to audience

Logic and Definition ArgumentsThesis: X is a Y

The criteria for Y are P, Q, and RX also matches the criteria P, Q and R

Therefore, X is a Y

Thesis: Euthanasia is murderMurder is (1) the intentional ending of a human life, (2)

when that life is of benefit to society.Euthanasia is the intentional ending of a human life.Euthanasia ends lives that benefit society.

Therefore, euthanasia is murder.

Still More Logic and Definitions

Thesis: Professional wrestling is not a sport, but is instead a men’s soap opera.A sport is (1) a competitive activity with a winner and a

loser. It (2) involves physical exertion and skill. It (3) has a set of rules or customs.

PW meets #2 and #3, but is not competitive (#1).A soap opera is (1) entertainment that follows a script and

(2) portrays ongoing conflicts between characters, (3) some of whom are villains and some heroes.

PW matches all the criteria for a soap opera.Therefore, PW is not a sport, but is instead a

soap opera for men.

Last take on logic and definitionsThe arts are a component in a quality education.

A quality education (1) enables a student to broaden his view of the world by exposing him to new ideas, (2) awakens him to creative thinking, and (3) helps him discover his talents and know more about himself.

The arts match these criteria; therefore, they contribute to a quality education.

Opposition: The “basics” can also do these, through lit in English class, through history of cultures, through foreign language study.

Refutation: This is not enough, not creative (2).

Quick Style Tricks

• Use fewest possible words• Choose active verbs over “being” verbs• Vary sentence length. Use the shortest

sentences for the biggest ideas.• Vary paragraph length.• Use “however” for contrasting ideas,

but always within sentences.

Sample first pageBlankley 1

Heidi BlankleyProfessor Kristine MillerBritish Novel2 April 1997

Ending the Violence

Pat Barker, a contemporary British author and winner of the prestigious Booker Prize, writes novels about England during the war years (Middlemiss). In Regeneration, Pat Barker “examines the treatment of shell-shock victims at Edinburgh’s Craiglockhart hospital during World War I” (Perry 44).

Sample Works Cited pageBlankley 8

Works Cited

Barker, Pat. Regeneration. New York: Plume, 1993.

Middlemiss, Perry. Homepage. 1 Jan. 1997. 15 May 1997 <http://ncc1701.apana.org.au/~/arrikin/lit/prizes/booker.html>.

Miller, Kristine. Class notes and personal interview. 10 May 1997.

Perry, Donna. Backtalk: Women Writers Speak Out. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1993.

Pykett, Lyn. “The Century’s Daughters: Recent Women’s Fiction and History.” Critical Quarterly 29.3 (1987): 71-77.