Elements of Argument A Text and Reader

by Rottenberg, Annette T.; Winchell, Donna Haisty

• ISBN13: 9781457662362
• ISBN10: 1457662361
• Edition: 11th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-10-10
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

Learn to to approach, develop, and defend arguments one element at a time as Elements of Argument thoroughly explains the major components of argumentation—claims, support, assumptions, logic.

Author Biography

Annette T. Rottenberg, formerly assistant director of the writing program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has taught composition and literature at Chicago City College, SUNY at Buffalo, Duke University, and schools abroad.

 

Donna Haisty Winchell has directed the Freshman Composition program and codirected Digital Portfolio Institutes at Clemson University, where she is Professor of English.  She has edited several freshman writing anthologies and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences.

 

Table of Contents

PREFACE

PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING ARGUMENT

Chapter1. Approaches to Argument

What Is Argument?

Aristotelian Rhetoric

Reading Argument

*In Gun Control Debate, Logic Goes Out the Window, Richard J. Davis

*A Person Is the Best Thing to Happen to a Shelter Pet (advertisement), The Shelter Pet Project

*I am Adam Lanza's Mother, Liza Long

Rogerian Argument

Reading Argument

*Katie Couric and the Celebrity Medicine Syndrome, Julia Belluz and Steven J. Hoffman

*The "Unnatural" Ashley Treatment Can Be Right for Profoundly Disabled Children, Peter Singer

The Toulmin Model

Reading Argument

*In Health, We're Not No. 1, Robert J. Samuelson

*Latest 3-D Films Add Dimension, Not Appeal, Jonathan Winchell

Assignments for Understanding Approaches to Argument

Chapter 2. Examining Written Arguments

Prereading

Reading Argument

On Pins and Needles Defending Artistic Expression, Carol Rose

*I Belong Here, Amin Ahmad

Reading for Content and Structure

Reading Argument

*A Tale of Two Airlines, Christopher Elliott

*Gun Debate: Where is the Middle Ground?, Mallory Simon

The Gay Option, Stephanie Fairyington

Evaluation

Reading Argument

*The Internet Is a Surveillance State, Bruce Schneier

*Giving Up Our Privacy: Is It Worth It? (student essay), Whitney Cramer

Assignments for Examining Written Arguments

Chapter 3. Examining Multimodal Arguments

Visual Rhetoric

Reading Argument

Looting (photograph), Dave Martin

Finding (photograph), Chris Gaythen

Milvertha Hendricks (photograph), Eric Gay

At the Time of the Louisville Flood (photograph), Margaret Bourke-White

Edgar Hollingsworth Rescued (photograph), Bruce Chambers

*Texting and Driving (photograph), Michael Krasowitz

*Stop Climate Change Before It Changes You (advertisement), World Wildlife Fund

*Takeout Can Eat Up Your Savings (advertisement), American Institute of CPAs

*Obamacare EMT (cartoon), Martin Kozlowski

*Did You Feel That? (cartoon), Pat Bagley

*Tobacco's Shifting Burden (infographic), theworld.org

*Where Your Gas Money Goes (infographic), Union of Concerned Scientists

Audiovisual Rhetoric

Reading Argument

*Let's Go Places (advertisement), Toyota

*[epage] Neon Signs (Buzzed Driving) (video), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

*Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961 (transcript), John F. Kennedy

*[epage] Democratic National Convention Speech (video), Elizabeth Warren

*Coverage of Obama's Announcement in Support of Gay Marriage, CNN Correspondents

Online Environments

Reading Argument

*"Peaceful" Act of Compassion, William Wharton

*Valedictorian Prays but Should Christians Rejoice?, Alan Noble

*[epage] Global Warming Continues with No Slow Down (blog post), Jeff Masters

*[epage] Montessori Madness (visual lecture), Trevor Eissler

*makehellcool.com (website), fastrack

Assignments for Examining Multimodal Arguments

Chapter 4. Responding to Arguments

Reading Argument

*Gun Heart (photograph), Anonymous

*Killing with Kindness (student essay), Karina Namaye

Writing the Claim

Planning the Structure

Using Sentence Forms to Write about Arguments

Providing Support

Documenting Your Sources

Avoiding Plagiarism

Reading Argument

*Internet Gambling Is Anything but Pretty, Sadhbh Walshe

*An Analysis of Sadbhb Walshe’s Commentary on Online Gambling (student essay), Carson Kennedy

*The Snitch in Your Pocket, Michael Isikoff

*Misuse of Cell-Phone Tracking (student essay), Ray Chong

*How Our Technology Is Used Against Us (student essay), DeRon Williamson

*Social Media: Establishing Criteria for Law Enforcement Use, Robert D. Stuart

*The Facebook Effect (infographic), Rachel Swaby

Assignments for Responding to Arguments

PART TWO: ANALYZING THE ELEMENTS

Chapter 5. Claims: Making a Statement

Claims of Fact

Reading Argument

*Loaded Language Poisons Gun Debate, Josh Levs

*Paper Because (advertisement), Domtar Paper

Claims of Value

Reading Argument

*Morning-After Pill a Boon for Women, Deborah Nucatola

*Spike Jonze's Her Shows Love's Perils — In Any Form, Kenneth Turan

Claims of Policy

Reading Argument

College Life versus My Moral Code, Elisha Dov Hack

*Toxic Beauty, Kiara Ventura

Assignments for Claims: Making a Statement

Chapter 6. Support: Backing Up a Claim

Evidence

Reading Argument

*Are Sports Fans Happier?, Sid Kirchheimer

Safer? Tastier? More Nutritious? The Dubious Merits of Organic Foods, Kristen Weinacker

*I'm Sorry, Steve Jobs: We Could Have Saved You, Siddhartha Mukherjee

Appeals to Needs and Values

Reading Argument

*Building Baby from the Genes Up, Ronald M. Green

*The Baseball Man's Cigarette (advertisement), Chesterfield Cigarettes

*Marketing to "Tweens" Objectifies Women, Jeremy Markel

Assignments for Support: Backing Up a Claim

Chapter 7. Warrants: Examining Assumptions

General Principles

Widely Held Assumptions

Reading Argument

*The Power of a Father's Love Overturns His Beliefs, Scott Simon

Recognizing and Analyzing Warrants

Reading Argument

*Don't Stop Frisking, Terry Eastland

Reading Argument

The Case for Torture, Michael Levin

An Unjust Sacrifice, Robert A. Sirico

*The American Middle Class: Endangered Species (photograph), HRC WENN Photos/Newscom

Assignments for Warrants: Examining Assumptions

PART THREE: USING THE ELEMENTS

Chapter 8. Definition: Clarifying Key Terms

The Purposes of Definition

Reading Argument

*GOP Fear of Common Core Education Standards Unfounded, Michael Gerson

Stop Calling Quake Victims Looters, Guy-Uriel Charles

Defining the Terms in Your Argument

Writing Extended Definitions

Reading Argument

The Definition of Terrorism, Brian Whitaker

*Conscientious Objection in Medicine: A Moral Dilemma, Ishmeal Bradley

Assignments for Definition: Clarifying Key Terms

Chapter 9. Language: Using Words with Care

The Power of Words

Reading Argument

*Consumer Confidence (advertisement), Stihl

Address to Congress, December 8, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Connotation

Reading Argument

*Why Keep Athletes Eligible but Uneducated?, Frank Deford

*Dispatches from a Police State: Animal Rights in the Crosshairs of State Repression, Steven Best

Slanting

Figurative Language

Reading Argument

*Excerpt from "The 'Evil Empire' Speech" (speech excerpt), Ronald Reagan

Concrete and Abstract Language

Short Cuts

Reading Argument

Food for Thought (and for Credit), Jennifer Grossman

*Flood the Zone, John Podhoretz

*USC Course Evaluations Need New Strategy, Whitney Smith

Assignments for Language: Using Words with Care

Chapter 10. Logic: Understanding Reasoning

Induction

Reading Argument

*Will Big Business Save the Earth?, Jared Diamond

Deduction

Reading Argument

It's All about Him, David von Drehle

*Remarks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Women and the Economy Summit, Hillary Clinton

Common Fallacies

Reading Argument

*Drivers Get Rolled, Christopher Caldwell

On Nation and Race, Adolf Hitler

Assignments for Logic: Understanding Reasoning

PART FOUR: RESEARCHING AND CRAFTING ARGUMENTS

Chapter 11. Planning and Research

Finding an Appropriate Topic

Initiating Research

Finding Sources

Evaluating Sources

Reading Argument

*Child Nutrition Programs (Web site), United States Department of Agriculture

Taking Notes

Reading Argument

*Childhood Obesity: The Challenge, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Chapter 12. Drafting, Revising, and Presenting Arguments

Reviewing Your Research

Organizing the Material

Writing

Revising

Oral Arguments

Reading Argument

*Remarks to Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute, Kathleen Sebelius

Chapter 13. Documenting Sources

MLA In-Text Citations

MLA Works Cited Entries

MLA-Style Annotated Bibliography

MLA Paper Format

MLA-Style Sample Research Paper

Competitive Foods and the Obesity Epidemic (student essay), Kathleen Hedden

APA In-Text Citations

APA List of References

APA-Style Sample Research Paper

The Controversy over Women in Combat (student essay), Angela Mathers

PART FIVE: DEBATING THE ISSUES

Chapter 14. What's in a Word?: Should We All Pledge to End Derogatory Use of the Word "Retard"?

A Movie, a Word, and My Family's Battle, Patricia E. Bauer

The Case Against Banning the Word "Retard," Christopher M. Fairman

Discussion Questions

Chapter 15. Social Responsibility: Do Businesses Have an Obligation to Society?

Putting Customers Ahead of Investors, John Mackey

Put Profits First, T. J. Rodgers

Discussion Questions

Chapter 16. Science and Morality: Should Human Stem Cells Be Used for Research?

*Embryonic Stem Cell Research: A Moral Evil or Obligation?, Beau Watts

*I’m Pro-Life and I Oppose Embryonic Stem Cell Research, J.C. Willke

Discussion Questions

Chapter 17. Gender Stereotypes: Is the "Princess" Phenomenon Detrimental to Girls’ Self-Image?

*Girls on Film: The Real Problem with the Disney Princess Brand, Monika Bartyzel

*In Defense of Princess Culture, Crystal Liechty

Discussion Questions

Chapter 18. Economics and College Sports: Should College Athletes Be Paid?

*Athlete's New Day, Paul Marx

*College Athletes Should Not Be Paid, Warren Hartenstine

Discussion Questions

PART SIX: MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS

Chapter 19. Social Networking: What Are the Consequences of Becoming an Online Society?

*Social Networking and the Death of the Internet, Alfredo Lopez

*Social Media: The Rock Star of Online Marketing (infographic), Zephoria

*We Post Nothing About Our Daughter Online, Amy Webb

Online Lives, Offline Consequences: Professionalism, Information Ethics, and Professional Students, Isaac Gilman

*Watch That Tweet! Monitoring of Student Athletes' Social Media: John G. Browning

Thinking and Writing about the Consequences of Social Networking

Chapter 20. Violence on Campus: How Far Will We Go to Keep Our Schools Safe?

*Totally Safe Schools (cartoon), Pat Bagley

*Arming Teachers: A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Idea, M. D. Anderson

*Teachers Packing Heat, Baltimore Sun

*Mental Health Services a Defense against School Violence, Robert Ross

*Overusing the Bully Label, Susan Eva Porter

Thinking and Writing about School Violence

Chapter 21. Food Matters: How Do Politics and the Economy Affect What We Eat?

Food Fight, Michael Pollan

The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Go Hungry, Sharon Astyk and Aaron Newton

*The Employer-Friendly Case for Pricier Big Macs, Diane Brady

*Can’t Survive on $7.25 (infographic), Fast Food Forward

*Can the Food Industry Kick Its Cheap Labor Habit?, Twilight Greenaway

The Fight Over Food Deserts: Corporate America Smacks Its Way Down, Eric Holt-Giménez

Thinking and Writing about the Political and Economical Costs of Food

Chapter 22. Competitive Sports: What Risks Should Athletes Be Allowed to Take?

*For Children in Sports, a Breaking Point, Jane E. Brody

*Why Parents Should Let Their Kids Play Dangerous Sports, Jeb Golinkin

*It's Time to Quit Ignoring Sports Head Trauma's Very Real Dangers, Kent Sepkowitz

*Bring Truth into Play by Saying Yes to Drugs in Sport, Craig Fry

*Performance Enhancing Drugs (cartoon), Jimmy Margulies

*No on Sickle Cell Trait Testing, Mark Peluso and Paul Berkner

*The NFL Concussion Crisis and the Doctor-Patient Relationship, Andrew M. Blecher

Thinking and Writing about the Dangers of Competitive Sports

Chapter 23. Freedom of Speech: Are Limitations on Our Rights Ever Justified?

*Social Media Dark Side (cartoon), Mike Keefe

*The Case for Censoring Hate Speech on the Internet, Sean McElwee

*Why Twitter Is Doing the Right Thing by Refusing to Identify Users Who Posted Anti-Semitic Comments, Matthew Ingram

*140 Characters Spell Charges and Jail, Robbie Brown

*In San Diego's BofA Case, Chalk One Up for the Jury System, Patt Morrison

Thinking and Writing about the Limits on Freedom of Speech

Chapter 24: Advancements in Medicine: What Are the Ethical Costs of Modern Health?

*Pro-Life Health Professionals in Conflict between Conscience and Career, Eric Schulzke

*Looking to Start a Family? You'll Pass on More Than Your Freckles. (Web site), 23andMe

*Blurring the Lines, Los Angeles Times Editorial Board

*Paying Patients for Their Tissue: The Legacy of Henrietta Lacks, Robert D. Truog, Aaron S. Kesselheim, and Steven Joffe

Thinking and Writing about the Ethical Costs of Medicine

PART SEVEN: CLASSIC ARGUMENTS

A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift

*The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson

Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau

*Ain't I a Woman?, Sojourner Truth

*The Obligation to Endure, Rachel Carson

GLOSSARY
INDEX OF SUBJECTS
INDEX OF AUTHORS AND TITLES