Good Reasons

by Faigley, Lester; Selzer, Jack

• ISBN13: 9780205285860
• ISBN10: 0205285864
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-10-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

Engaging and accessible to all students, Good Reasons is a brief, very readable introduction to argument by two of the country's foremost rhetoricians. By stressing the rhetorical situation and the audience, this rhetoric avoids complicated schemes and terminology in favor of providing students with the practical means to find good reasons for the positions they want to advocate to their audiences. Supporting the authors' instruction are numerous readings by professional and student writers, including a pivotal selection from Rachel Carson's extraordinarily influential argument, Silent Spring. Good Reasons is distinctive in its emphasis on visual persuasion and the presentation of arguments in various media, including electronic media. It includes a thorough discussion of visual design and how good document design can support good reasons, as well as a unique introduction to arguments on the World Wide Web. Good Reasons is also distinctive in considering narratives as an important aspect of argument.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Part I Persuading with Good Reasons: What Do We Mean by Argument?	1	(106)
What to Argue About	5	(26)
A Book That Changed the World	5	(2)
Why Silent Spring Became a Classic	7	(6)
Tactics of Silent Spring	9	(3)
Analyzing Arguments: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos	12	(1)
Reading Arguments	13	(3)
TIPS Reading with a Pencil in Your Hand	14	(2)
Finding Arguments	16	(2)
Position and Proposal Arguments	16	(2)
Rachel Carson, ``The Obligation to Endure''	18	(4)
Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers, ``Hand-Me-Down Poisons''	22	(9)
Getting Started: Listing and Analyzing Issues	26	(2)
Getting Started: Making an Idea Map	28	(3)
Persuading with Good Reasons	31	(22)
The Basics of Arguments	31	(4)
TIPS What Is Not Arguable	34	(1)
The Basics of Reasoning	35	(2)
Finding Good Reasons	37	(7)
Can You Argue by Definition---from ``the Nature of the Thing''?	38	(1)
Can You Argue from Value?	39	(1)
Can You Compare or Contrast?	39	(1)
Can You Argue from Consequence?	40	(2)
Can You Counter Objections to Your Position?	42	(1)
Questions for Finding Good Reasons	43	(1)
Supporting Good Reasons	44	(2)
Deciding Which Good Reasons to Use	46	(1)
James Q. Wilson, ``Just Take Away Their Guns''	47	(6)
Getting Started on Your Draft	51	(2)
Thinking More about Your Audience	53	(20)
What Exactly Is an Auidence?	53	(1)
Readers Do More than Absorb Information	54	(3)
Readers Begin with Purposes	55	(1)
Readers Begin with Expectations	56	(1)
Readers Compose as They Read	56	(1)
Readers React to What They Read	56	(1)
Constructing Your Readers	57	(1)
Who Will Read Your Argument?	57	(2)
What Does Your Audience Already Know---and Not Know?	58	(1)
What Are Your Audience's Attitudes toward You?	58	(1)
What Are Your Audience's Attitudes toward Your Subject and toward What You Want to Say?	58	(1)
Why People Reach Different Conclusions from the Same Evidence	59	(7)
Creating Your Readers	66	(2)
``Marlboro College'' from the Fiske Guide to Colleges 1993	68	(5)
Getting Started: Writing for Particular Audiences	72	(1)
The Style of Arguments	73	(34)
Facts Alone Do Not Persuade	73	(5)
Ethos: Creating an Effective Perrsona	78	(4)
Advice on Argument from Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography	82	(1)
Choosing an Appropriate Voice	82	(7)
TIPS Strong Beginnings	87	(2)
Pathos: Appealing to Your Readers' Values	89	(2)
TIPS Strong Endings	90	(1)
The Language of Arguments	91	(4)
Christopher Hitchens, ``Scenes from an Execution''	95	(12)
Steps in Writing a Rhetorical Analysis	104	(3)
Part II Some Types of Arguments: Options for Arguments	107	(100)
Definition Arguments	111	(20)
Scott McCloud, ``Setting the Record Straight''	118	(8)
Meghann O'Connor (student), ``Cheerleading Is a Competitive Sport''	126	(5)
Steps in Writing a Definition Argument	129	(2)
Causal Arguments	131	(22)
Douglas Rushkoff, ``Channel Surfing''	141	(12)
Steps in Writing a Causal Argument	151	(2)
Evaluation Arguments	153	(16)
Eric Gable and Richard Handler, ``In Colonial Williamsburg, the New History Meets the Old''	160	(4)
Natascha Pocek (student), ``The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place''	164	(5)
Steps in Writing an Evaluation Argument	167	(2)
Narrative Arguments	169	(12)
Leslie Marmon Silko, ``The Border Patrol State''	173	(8)
Steps in Writing a Narrative Argument	179	(2)
Rebuttal Arguments	181	(14)
The Faculty of the University of Washington, ``Open Letter to Governnor Gary Locke and the 2020 Commission on the Future of Higher Education''	188	(7)
Steps in Writing a Rebuttal Argument	192	(3)
Proposal Arguments	195	(12)
Donna Lopiano, ``Title IX: It's Time to Live Up to the Letter of the Law''	200	(7)
Steps in Writing a Proposal Argument	204	(3)
Part III Effective Arguments: Designing, Documenting, and Revising Arguments	207	(108)
Effective Visual Design	209	(28)
Understanding Visual Arguments	209	(3)
Text	210	(1)
Images	211	(1)
Graphic Design	211	(1)
Print Is a Visual Medium	212	(6)
Design Basics	218	(8)
Arrangement	220	(2)
Consistency	222	(2)
Contrast	224	(2)
The Rhetoric of Type	226	(3)
Graphic Presentation of Information	229	(8)
Tables and Charts	229	(5)
Misleading Charts	234	(1)
Other Graphics	234	(3)
Effective Web Design	237	(26)
The Basics of the Web	237	(3)
A Very Brief History of the Internet and the World Wide Web	239	(1)
Arguments on the Web	240	(4)
Intranets	244	(1)
Putting Text on Your Web Site	244	(8)
Web Authoring Software	245	(1)
The First Screen Is the Most Important	245	(2)
Divide Your Text into Chunks	247	(2)
Format So That the Text Is Readable	249	(1)
Anticipate Readers' Questions and Objections	250	(2)
TIPS Stay Organized	252	(1)
Principles of Web Design	252	(6)
Determine the Visual Theme of Your Site	253	(2)
Know the Messages Your Images Convey	255	(1)
Direct the Viewer's Eyes	255	(3)
Keep the Visuals Simple	258	(1)
Navigational Design	258	(2)
Audience Considerations on the Web	260	(3)
Online Guides for Publishing on the Web	261	(2)
Effective Research	263	(22)
Research: Knowing What Information You Need	263	(3)
What Makes a Good Subject for Research	266	(1)
Planning Your Research	266	(3)
Interviews, Observations, and Surveys	267	(2)
Finding What You Are Looking for in Print Sources	269	(3)
Scholarly, Trade, and Popular Journals	271	(1)
Finding What You Are Looking for in Electronic Sources	272	(7)
Using Search Engines	272	(1)
TIPS Using Search Engines	273	(1)
Searching by Key Word	274	(2)
Searching by Subject	276	(2)
Doing the Research for an Argument about Cloning	278	(1)
Evaluating Sources	279	(3)
Traditional Criteria for Evaluating Print Sources	280	(1)
Additional Criteria for Evaluating Web Sources	281	(1)
Taking Notes	282	(3)
Effective Documentation	285	(24)
Intellectual Property and Scholastic Honesty	285	(6)
What Plagiarism Is	286	(3)
Using Sources Effectively	289	(2)
MLA Documentation	291	(5)
Books	292	(1)
Periodicals	293	(1)
Online Sources	294	(2)
Other Sources	296	(1)
Sample Argument Paper Using Sources	296	(1)
Chris Thomas (student), ``Should Race Be a Qualification to Attend College?''	297	(12)
Effective Revision	309	(6)
Switch from Writer to Reader	309	(1)
Focus on Your Argument	310	(2)
Focus on Your Style and Proofread Carefully	312	(3)
Appendix A: Working Effectively in Groups	315	(4)
Appendix B: APA Documentation	319	(6)
Index	325