Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology

1160 Pages·2016·39.49 MB·English

by  Laurie G. Kirszner

A guide to important reference features
in Practical Argument
Templates for Key Writing Skills
Structuring an Argument
Writing a Critical Response
Responding to Visual Arguments
Writing a Rhetorical Analysis
Writing a Deductive Argument
Writing an Inductive Argument
Writing a Rogerian Argument
Writing a Toulmin Argument
Using Identifying Tags
Writing an Argument about Plagiarism
Writing a Definition Argument
Writing a Cause-and-Effect Argument
Writing an Evaluation Argument
Writing a Proposal Argument
Writing an Ethical Argument
Grammer in Context Boxes
Using Parallelism
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Contractions versus Possessive Pronouns
Avoiding Is Where and Is When
Avoiding “The Reason Is Because”
Comparatives and Superlatives
Will versus Would
Subordination and Coordination
Guideline on Working with Sources
Evaluating Sources
Summarizing Sources
Paraphrasing Sources
Quoting Sources
Synthesizing Sources
Third Edition
Practical Argument
A Text and Anthology
Laurie G. Kirszner
University of the Sciences, Emeritus
Stephen R. Mandell
Drexel University

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Acknowledgments
Text credits and copyrights appear at the back of the book on pages C-1-C-5,
which constitute an extension of the copyright page. Art acknowledgments and
copyrights appear on the same page as the art selections they cover.
PREFACE
In recent years, many college composition programs have integrated
argumentation into their first-year writing sequence, and there are good reasons
for this. Argumentation is central to academic and public discourse, so students
who are skilled at argumentation are able to participate in the dynamic, ongoing
discussions that take place both in their classrooms and in their communities.
Clearly, argumentation teaches valuable critical-thinking skills that are necessary
for academic success and for survival in today’s media-driven society.
What has surprised and troubled us as teachers, however, is that many
college argument texts are simply too difficult. Frequently, a divide exists
between the pedagogy of these texts and students’ ability to understand it. In
many cases, technical terminology and excessively abstract discussions lead to
confusion instead of clarity. The result is that students’ worst fears are realized:
instead of feeling that they are part of a discourse community, they see
themselves as marginalized outsiders who will never be able to understand, let
alone master, the principles of argumentation.
Recognizing that students struggle to master important principles of
argumentative thinking and writing, we drew on our years of classroom
experience to create an innovative book: Practical Argument: A Text and
Anthology. In this third edition, Practical Argument remains a straightforward,
accessible, and visually appealing introduction to argumentative writing that
explains concepts in understandable, everyday language and illustrates them
with examples that actually mean something to students. Practical Argument is
an alternative for instructors who see currently available argument texts as too
big, too complicated, and too intimidating for their students.
In short, our goal in this text is to demystify the study of argument. To this
end, we focus on the things that students need to know, omitting the overly
technical concepts they often struggle with. For example, Practical Argument
emphasizes the basic principles of classical argument and downplays the more
complex Toulmin logic, treating it as an alternative way of envisioning
argument. Practical Argument works because its approach is “practical”; it helps
students to make connections between what they learn in the classroom and what
they experience outside of it. As they do so, they become comfortable with the
rhetorical skills that are central to effective argumentation. We believe there’s no
other book like it.
Organization
Practical Argument, both a text and a reader, includes in one book everything
students and instructors need for an argument course.
Part 1, Understanding Argument, discusses the role of argument in
everyday life and the value of studying argument, offers definitions of what
argument is and is not, explains the means of persuasion (appeals to logos,
pathos, and ethos), and defines and illustrates the basic elements of argument
(thesis, evidence, refutation, and concluding statement).
Part 2, Reading and Responding to Arguments, explains and illustrates
critical thinking and reading; visual argument; writing a rhetorical analysis;
logic and logical fallacies; and Rogerian argument, Toulmin logic, and oral
arguments.
Part 3, Writing an Argumentative Essay, traces and illustrates the process
of planning, drafting, and revising an argumentative essay.
Part 4, Using Sources to Support Your Argument, covers locating and
evaluating print and online sources; summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and
synthesizing sources; documenting sources in MLA style; and using sources
reponsibly.
Part 5, Strategies for Argument, explains and illustrates the most common
kinds of arguments—definition arguments, cause-and-effect arguments,
evaluation arguments, proposal arguments, and ethical arguments.
Part 6, Debates, Casebooks, and Classic Arguments, includes both
contemporary and classic arguments. The contemporary arguments are
arranged in four pro-con debates and four in-depth casebooks on issues such
as whether controversial sports mascots should be replaced and whether
helicopter parents are ruining their children’s lives. The eleven classic
arguments include well-known pieces by writers such as Jonathan Swift,
George Orwell, Betty Friedan, and Rachel Carson.
Appendixes. Appendix A provides instruction on writing literary arguments,
and Appendix B covers APA documentation style.