HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

{{Main, Argument Practical arguments are a
logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from prem ...
al structure used to determine the validity or dependencies of a claim made in natural-language
argument An argument is a statement or group of statements called premises intended to determine the degree of truth or acceptability of another statement called conclusion. Arguments can be studied from three main perspectives: the logical, the dialecti ...
s.


Overview...

An ''argument'' can be thought of as two or more contradicting
tree structure A tree structure, tree diagram, or tree model is a way of representing the hierarchical nature of a structure in a graphical form. It is named a "tree structure" because the classic representation resembles a tree, although the chart is genera ...
s. *The
root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...
of each tree is a ''claim'': a belief supported by information. *The root branches out to nodes that are ''
ground Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the surface of the Earth not covered by water * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical c ...
s'': supporting information. *The edges connecting them are '' warrants'': rules or principles. *Claims, grounds and warrants are often not known for certain, so they are presented with a ''
qualifier In linguistics, a modifier is an optional element in phrase structure or clause structure which ''modifies'' the meaning of another element in the structure. For instance, the adjective "red" acts as a modifier in the noun phrase "red ball", prov ...
'' to indicate their probability. *When a ground is disputable it is a ''sub claim''; in this way the tree can grow to be quite large. The object of a discussion is often to resolve a difference of opinion. This requires common grounds from which to logically convince one's opponent that one's claim is better supported and that the opponent's claim is supported by false grounds and or warrants (see
Occam's razor Occam's razor, Ockham's razor, or Ocham's razor ( la, novacula Occami), also known as the principle of parsimony or the law of parsimony ( la, lex parsimoniae), is the problem-solving principle that "entities should not be multiplied beyond neces ...
). If one has no grounds or warrants to support one's claim, then one has no argument, just a belief/claim, perhaps an inaccurate one.


Example 1

*''Claim'': Cats are less intelligent than dogs. *''Ground'': Cats cannot learn to do tricks as well as dogs do. *''Warrant'': The ability to learn tricks is a mark of intelligence.


Example 2

:Where: C=claim, W=warrant, G=ground, and Q=qualifier *C: Humans can't fly. **Q: In a gravity field without assistance or modification **W1: Because it defies the laws of Newtonian physics it can not be done. ***Q: Fact **G1: It defies the laws of Newtonian physics. ***Q: Disputable fact **W1.1: Because Newtonian physics applies it would defy the laws of Newtonian physics. ***Q: Fact **G1.1: Newtonian physics apply to all super quantum systems including people ***Q: Fact **W1.2: Because there is no print record it is highly improbable. ***Q: Highly improbable **G1.2: There is no print record of any reputable person claiming such a thing. ***Q: Fact **W2: Because no one has ever flown, it is highly improbable. ***Q: Highly improbable **G2: No one has ever flown. ***Q: Disputable fact **W2.1: Because there is no print record it is highly improbable. ***Q: Highly improbable **G2.1: There is no print record of any reputable person claiming such a thing. ***Q: Fact


See also

*
Argument map An argument map or argument diagram is a visual representation of the structure of an argument. An argument map typically includes the key components of the argument, traditionally called the '' conclusion'' and the ''premises'', also called ''con ...
*
Argumentation framework In artificial intelligence and related fields, an argumentation framework is a way to deal with contentious information and draw conclusions from it using formalized arguments. In an abstract argumentation framework, entry-level information is a ...
*
Logical argument An argument is a statement or group of statements called premises intended to determine the degree of truth or acceptability of another statement called conclusion. Arguments can be studied from three main perspectives: the logical, the dialecti ...
* Toulmin model of argument


References

*Printed: **''Writing Arguments'' by John D. Ramage **''
The Craft of Research ''The Craft of Research'' is a book by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald. The work is published by the University of Chicago Press. The book aims to provide a basic overview of how t ...
'' by
Wayne C. Booth Wayne Clayson Booth (February 22, 1921, in American Fork, Utah – October 10, 2005, in Chicago, Illinois) was an American literary critic. He was the George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in English Language & Literature an ...
, Gregory G. Colomb, & Joseph M. Williams *Online
About Argumentation by University of California


Arguments