Argumentation
Author: Jim Chesher
Philosophy
I have won and I have lost-winning
is better.
-Anonymous
Introduction
As faculty, we are concerned with our students'
ability to think critically. We expect them to be able to define,
reason and think independently. We require them to demonstrate
their ability to think critically, whether verbally during class
discussion or office hours or through more formal venues such
as writing assignments or exams. Over the course of the semester,
we want our students to demonstrate and strengthen their critical
thinking skills. The formal study of argumentation deals directly
with these concerns. The following lesson introduces and defines
the elements of argument and argument analysis.
Lesson Objectives
Lesson Goal
Provide faculty with an account of argument and argument analysis
to familiarize them with the formal study of argument as undergone
by many of our students.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to answer the following
questions:
1. What is an argument? an issue?
2. What is a premise? a conclusion?
3. What is validity? soundness?
4. What is a strong argument?
5. Can a valid argument have a false premise?
6. Why isn't a valid argument always a good argument?
7. What are the basics of argument analysis?
