TOULMIN ARGUMENT

LSC-CyFair English DepartmentEnglish 1301

Stephen Toulmin

“If we are to set our arguments out with complete logical candor, and understood properly the nature of ‘the logical process’, surely we shall need to employ a pattern of argument no less sophisticated than is required in the law.” P. 96, The Uses of Argument, 1958

Toulmin Argument Terms-CDWB (C)=“claim or conclusion whose merits

we are seeking to establish” (D)=data, “facts we appeal to as

foundation for the claim” (W)=warrants, “general, hypothetical

statements, which can act as bridges, and authorise the sort of step to which our particular argument commits us”

(B)=backing, “assurances, without which the warrants themselves would possess neither authority nor currency”

Toulmin Argument Terms

(Q)=“qualifiers, indicating the strength conferred by the warrant on this step”

(R)=“conditions of rebuttal, indicating general circumstances in which the general authority of the warrant would have to be set aside”

Diagram

“Data are appealed to explicitly, warrants implicitly”

Defining Argument

Opinion—stance on an issue based on beliefs, intuition, emotion, “gut reaction”, personal desires

Argument—stance on an issue using reasonable evidence, logical thinking, responsible communication

Argument Terminology

Issue—debatable topic Claim—stance on issue Grounds

Reason—explains claim Evidence—data for reasons

Warrant—assumption support claim and reason

Backing—support for warrant

Issue Question Claim Reason Issue

Phones on college campuses Claim

Phones negatively impact college classes Reason 1

Phones distract students in class Reason 2

Phones allow cheating in class

Evidence

Survey of students: how often they check their phones in class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiTUTdbcVkE

http://education.seattlepi.com/pros-cons-cell-phone-usage-college-1578.html

Anecdotal evidence of phones disrupting class

Warrants & Backing

Reason 1: Phones disrupt Warrant=disruption is a problem Backing=research study that shows

importance of concentration for learning Reason 2: Phones allow cheating

Warrant=cheating is not be allowed Backing=story of how cheating caused

student to fail