Arguments

When you think of arguments, you don't typically think of this:

Unless you're a Friends fan, perhaps. But in the context of academic writing, Parker's idea of an "incredible fight" is much closer to what an argument should be.  Despite the negative emotions this word usually invokes, an academic argument is about entering a conversation to provide a new perspective on an existing issue, and that's something to get excited about!

Say No to "Yes or No"

This semester, I've learned a lot about what makes a good argument, but what stood out to me the most was that an argument doesn't have to be simply "for" or "against" something.  In her article "Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother with Logic?," Rebecca Jones explains that finding a compromise between two seemingly opposing viewpoints is much more effective than fervently arguing for one side or the other.  Jones says, "While many pro and con arguments are valid, they can erase nuance, negate the local and particular, and shut down the very purpose of having an argument: the possibility that you might change your mind, learn something new, or solve a problem." And, it can turn your argument into this:

This mentality is vastly different from what I learned in high school, where if you showed any semblance of indecision on the pro/con scale, you were marked down for not being confident in your assertion.  In They Say/ I Say, however, Graff and Berkenstein explain that a writer can agree and disagree with a point simultaneously, and that ambivalence is sometimes a strength which shows respect for the complexity of an issue.

Supporting Your Argument

Once you have a sufficiently intricate stance on the topic, you then need to support your argument.  The vocabulary of this can seem a bit overwhelming at first: the claim is the assertion you're trying to prove, your reasons support your claim, your evidence supports your reasons, and your warrants ensure they're all properly related to one another so your argument is valid.  The distinction between reasons and evidence is still a bit fuzzy to me, but as Booth, Colomb, and Williams state in The Craft of Research, evidence is something you search for (facts that exist independently of your argument) and reasons are supports for your claim that you develop from this evidence.  Using these together provides support for the position you are arguing.

Connecting Your Support

You also need to show your readers how your evidence relates to your claims - this is where warrants come in.  Very few would consider this a compelling argument:

The idea of warrant made the most sense to me, largely due to the fact that I just studied logic in my philosophy class, where we frequently evaluated the validity of arguments.  In order for a deductive argument to be valid, its conclusion must necessarily be true if its premises are true (an inductive argument may not necessitate the conclusion from the premises, but it will provide strong support for it).  The warrant is the premise that relates the conclusion (or claim) to the other premises (or reasons/evidence).

Incredible Arguments

Keeping these things in mind as you write can greatly strengthen your arguments, and make them "incredible," as our friend Parker would say.  With a thoughtful position and strong evidence and warrants, your argument will certainly be something to get excited about.