A Rulebook for Arguments by Weston, Anthony -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover A Rulebook for Arguments Title Page Copyright Titles of Related Interest Available from Hackett Publishing Contents Preface Note to the Fifth Edition Introduction I. Short Arguments: Some General Rules

1. Resolve premises and conclusion 2. Unfold your ideas in a natural order 3. Start from reliable premises 4. Be concrete and concise 5. Build on substance, not overtone 6. Use consistent terms

II. Arguments by Example

7. Use more than one example 8. Use representative examples 9. Background rates are often crucial 10. Statistics need a critical eye 11. Reckon with counterexamples

III. Arguments by Analogy

12. Analogies require relevantly similar examples

IV. Arguments from Authority

13. Cite your sources 14. Seek informed sources 15. Seek impartial sources 16. Cross-check sources 17. Build your Internet savvy

IV. Arguments about Causes

18. Causal arguments start with correlations 19. Correlations may have alternative explanations 20. Work toward the most likely explanation 21. Expect complexity

VI. Deductive Arguments

22. Modus ponens 23. Modus tollens 24. Hypothetical syllogism 25. Disjunctive syllogism 26. Dilemma 27. Reductio ad absurdum 28. Deductive arguments in multiple steps

VII. Extended Arguments

29. Explore the issue 30. Spell out basic ideas as arguments 31. Defend basic premises with arguments of their own 32. Reckon with objections 33. Explore alternatives

VIII. Argumentative Essays

34. Jump right in 35. Urge a definite claim or proposal 36. Your argument is your outline 37. Detail objections and meet them 38. Seek feedback and use it 39. Modesty, please!

IX. Oral Arguments

40. Ask for a hearing 41. Be fully present 42. Signpost energetically 43. Hew your visuals to your argument 44. End in style

X. Public Debates

45. Do argument proud 46. Listen, learn, leverage 47. Offer something positive 48. Work from common ground 49. At least be civil 50. Leave them thinking when you go

Appendix I: Some Common Fallacies Appendix II: Definitions

D1. When terms are unclear, get specific D2. When terms are contested, work from the clear cases D3. Definitions don’t replace arguments

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