Your sources, your argument

Announcements:

• Argument Essay, Drafting
• Thesis, in class
• HW: work on intro for at least 10 minutes tonight; work on the body of your essay for at least 10 minutes on Tuesday
• W-11/18-Reading, "The Counter Argument," Bb, Week 13 Folder
• No DB question for W
• First draft due Friday, 11/20, 11:59 PM

Your sources, your argument

The Case of Fact v. Opinion

• Does your source have its own ethos?

• How can your source make your argument even more effective?

Writers often tell us what they think or how they feel, but they don't always give us the facts. It's important to be able to interpret what the writer is saying so you can form opinions of your own. As you read an author's views, you should ask yourself if the author is presenting you with an established fact or with a personal opinion. Since the two may appear close together, even in the same sentence, you have to be able to distinguish between them.

The key difference between facts and opinions is that facts can be verified, or checked for accuracy, by anyone. In contrast, opinions cannot be checked for accuracy by some outside source. Opinions are what someone personally thinks or how he/she feel about an issue. Opinions by definition are subjective and relative.

• What side of the argument do you find yourself on?

• Which perspective (i.e. humanities, sciences, economics, politics, etc.) will lend the most ethos/logos to your argument?

Somethings to keep in mind as you select the single source on which to focus:

If your sources doesn't add something (knowledge, support, challenge), don't use it.

Determining an Opinion

Defining a Fact

Opinions are based on subjective judgment and personal values rather than on information that can be verified. An opinion is a belief that someone holds without complete proof or positive knowledge that it is correct. Even experts who have studied the same issue carefully often have very different opinions about that issue.

Opinions are often disputed, and many times involve abstract concepts and complex moral issues such as right or wrong, fairness and loyalty. Abstract concepts, because they are not easily understood, can never be defined to everyone's satisfaction. For example, each of us holds a personal opinion about what fairness or loyalty is, about gun control and abortion, and these issues always remain a matter of opinion, not fact.

Facts are objective, concrete bits of information. They can be found in official government and legal records, and in the physical sciences. Facts can be found in reference books, such as encyclopedias and atlases, textbooks, and relevant publications. Objective facts are what researchers seek in laboratories or through controlled studies. Facts are usually expressed by precise numbers or quantities, in weights and measures, and in concrete language. The decisions of Congress, specific technological data, birth records, historical documents, all provide researchers with reliable facts.

Developing an Argumentative Thesis

Ethos

Why is this even an issue?

"The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself"

-FDR

Pathos

Argumentative Thesis:

After choosing a topic, you will need to state your opinion in an argumentative thesis that takes a strong stand about your topic. This thesis will act as the foundation for the rest of your argument.

Example:

Term limits would improve government by bringing people with fresh ideas into office every few years.

Antithesis:

An antithesis is a statement that takes an arguable position opposite of your original thesis. Formulating an antithesis is the best way to make sure that your thesis does take a stand. If you can create an antithesis, your thesis statement takes a stand, if not, then your statement needs further revision in order to be argumentative.

Example:

Term limits would harm government because elected officials would always be inexperienced.

FACT or OPINION ?

Logos

OPINION

Questions?

And why does anyone even bother giving their opinion?

Whats the difference between a matter of fact and a matter of opinion?

Audience & Purpose?

Why might opinion be convincing when presented in this way?

Ethos (author credibility)?

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

Drug use is detrimental to society.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

Pollution is bad for the environment.

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution means that something is bad or negative in some way. Further, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting pollution.

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

It is important to use our best judgement when distinguishing between fact and opinion, but when should you avoid an authors opinion?

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

Illegal drug use is detrimental because it encourages gang violence.

Claims of fact or definition:

Defining Terms

LOGICAL FALLACIES!

These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact.

Example:

What some people refer to as global warming is actually nothing more than normal, long-term cycles of climate change.

Be careful to use precise terms in your thesis statement. Try to avoid vague or judgmental words such as wrong, right, good, bad, and immoral.

Remember, the points of your argument--either your support or your explanation--should also avoid logical fallacies.

Claims of cause and effect:

Example:

Vague

Censorship of the Internet would be wrong.

These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur.

Which type of claim is right for your argument?

Clear

Censorship of the Internet would unfairly limit free speech.

Example:

The popularity of SUV's in America has caused pollution to increase.

Use the remaining class time to continue drafting your essay. If you recieved specific feedback on Reading Project 8, please come see me. Remember, you need at least one, quality secondary source. Please verify your source with me if you are unsure.

Take what you have learned and draft a thesis in DB, Week 13-W.

Types of claims: Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, in other words what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Your decision depends on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Claims about value:

These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something.

Example:

Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today.

Claims about solutions or policies:

These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem.

Example:

Instead of drilling for oil in Alaska we should be focusing on ways to reduce oil consumption, such as researching renewable energy sources.