Class One: Introduction to Argument

Introduction to Arguments

An argument is a conclusion derived from applying adopted rules to determined facts relevant to resolve a specific issue in order to accomplish a goal.  

There are a number of components to this definition:

1. Your Goal in making the argument

2. The issue at hand

3.  Your Adopted Rules

4.  Your Determined Facts

5. Your End-Point-Conclusion

Arguments can be mind numbingly layered, because each of the above components is itself a Conclusion that rests upon other determined facts and adopted rules.  

For example: 

I assert that If you drink the contents of this bottle - you will die.  This is my conclusion.

This Bottle contains Bleach.  - This is an determined fact.

Bleach is a poison - This is a determined fact.

Drinking Poison can kill you - This is an adopted rule.

The Determined Fact that “This Bottle contains Bleach” is also a conclusion. How do I know the bottle contains bleach?  What facts do I rely upon to determine that it does, in fact, contain bleach?  The Label? The smell? Someone’s say so?  

The Adopted Rule that “Drinking Poison can kill you” is also a conclusion.  How do we know this?  What testing was done to determine this?  

Finally the determined fact that “Bleach is a Poison” is itself a conclusion.  It relies upon a factual premise that bleach causes the death of people who drink it.

Obviously in the vast majority of arguments you will never distill each and every determined fact and adopted rule down to their core.  Nonetheless it is critical for you to understand that each end-point-conclusion rests upon other supporting conclusions about the facts or the rules.  Successfully challenging arguments requires that you identify those supporting conclusions Challenging arguments is the task of identifying those supporting-conclusions of facts or rules which are vulnerable to attack.

Building Blocks of an Argument

Every argument, decision, dispute, or declaration can be reduced to the following equation:

C = I (F/M X R/M)

In the above equation:

C = End-Point-Conclusion.

I = The Issue the argument should resolve

F = Determined Facts

R = Adopted Rule

M = Methodology used to Determine the Facts or Adopt the Rule

There may be a lot of extra words that add flourish and frill to an argument, but in the end every house, from the Hut to the White House is made up of the same elements - walls, floors, doors, and roof.  The rest is ornament that may add or detract from how well you convey these premises and conclusion to your audience.

Because End-Point-Conclusions are the logical (one hopes) results of two or more premises, you should understand that premises make up the vast bulk of any argument.  Because a conclusion is dependent upon the premise, your best bet for articulating, defending, or attacking any argument is to fanatically focus on the disclosed facts and rules as well as force out the hidden unarticulated facts or rules that must necessarily exist to support the end-point conclusion.

Finally, understand that arguments is an undertaking to accomplishing a goal. You want someone to believe something, do something, consider something, or merely understand something.  Often your goal will determine the structure and tone of your argument.