A Rulebook for Arguments

by Anthony Weston

Overview

From academic writing to personal and public discourse, the need for good arguments and better ways of arguing is greater than ever before.

This timely fifth edition of A Rulebook for Arguments sharpens an already-classic text, adding updated examples and a new chapter on public debates that provides rules for the etiquette and ethics of sound public dialogue as well as clear and sound thinking in general.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624666544
Publisher:	Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Edition description:	Fifth Edition, 5
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	194,523
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Anthony Weston is Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Elon University.

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Introduction	xi
I.	Composing a Short Argument: Some General Rules	1
1.	Distinguish premises and conclusion	1
2.	Present your ideas in a natural order	3
3.	Start from reliable premises	4
4.	Be concrete and concise	5
5.	Avoid loaded language	6
6.	Use consistent terms	7
7.	Stick to one meaning for each term	8
II.	Arguments by Example	10
8.	Give more than one example	11
9.	Use representative examples	12
10.	Background information is crucial	14
11.	Consider counterexamples	17
III.	Arguments by Analogy	19
12.	Analogy requires a relevantly similar example	21
IV.	Arguments from Authority	24
13.	Sources should be cited	25
14.	Seek informed sources	26
15.	Seek impartial sources	28
16.	Cross-check sources	30
17.	Personal attacks do not disqualify a source	30
V.	Arguments about Causes	32
18.	Explain how cause leads to effect	33
19.	Propose the most likely cause	35
20.	Correlated events are not necessarily related	36
21.	Correlated events may have a common cause	36
22.	Either of two correlated events may cause the other	38
23.	Causes may be complex	38
VI.	Deductive Arguments	40
24.	Modus Ponens	41
25.	Modus Tollens	42
26.	Hypothetical Syllogism	44
27.	Disjunctive Syllogism	46
28.	Dilemma	47
29.	Reductio ad absurdum	48
30.	Deductive arguments in several steps	50
VII.	Composing an Argumentative Essay
A.	Exploring the Issue	53
A1.	Explore the arguments on all sides of the issue	54
A2.	Question and defend each argument's premises	56
A3.	Revise and rethink arguments as they emerge	57
VIII.	Composing an Argumentative Essay
B.	Main Points of the Essay	59
B1.	Explain the question	59
B2.	Make a definite claim or proposal	60
B3.	Develop your arguments fully	61
B4.	Consider objections	62
B5.	Consider alternatives	63
IX.	Composing an Argumentative Essay
C.	Writing	64
C1.	Follow your outline	64
C2.	Keep the introduction brief	65
C3.	Give your arguments one at a time	65
C4.	Clarify, clarify, clarify	67
C5.	Support objections with arguments	68
C6.	Don't claim more than you have shown	69
X.	Fallacies	71
	The Two Great Fallacies	71
	Some Classical Fallacies	73
Appendix	Definition	79
D1.	When terms are unclear, get specific	80
D2.	When terms are contested, work from the clear cases	82
D3.	Don't expect definitions to do the work of arguments	84
	Next Steps	86

What People are Saying About This

Debra Nails

This is the ultimate 'how-to' book for anyone who wants to use reasons and evidence in support of conclusions, to be clear instead of confusing, persuasive instead of dogmatic, and better at evaluating the arguments of others. No one outgrows its forty-five timeless rules, all explained and illustrated with vivid examples. The fourth edition, even more elegantly organized and concise than before, adds new material on oral presentations and Web sources that everyone needs. (Debra Nails, Michigan State University)

Editorial Reviews

Comments on the previous edition:
"This is the ultimate 'how-to' book for anyone who wants to use reasons and evidence in support of conclusions, to be clear instead of confusing, persuasive instead of dogmatic, and better at evaluating the arguments of others."
—Debra Nails, Michigan State University

From the Publisher

"What's the point of arguing?" So begins a concise, but dense with examples, examination of the logic of argumentation<-->moving from general rules in composing a brief argument to writing an argumentative essay. Lacks an index, information on the author, and dates of previous editions. Suitable as a supplementary text. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews