What makes an effective Argument?
An Argument starts out with an arguable premise, but that is not the only factor in creating a solid argument. The rhetorical triangle is a major component of writing, considering the rhetor, audience, context, and subject. Even though there have been many techniques outlined in this chapter to help with argument, these have stuck out to be the most important of the concepts learned. Sometimes it is hard to get a part of the triangle correct, and if this happens, then the entire paper will fail because it failed in conception. For example, if a person were to write a paper on family values they would look to cite sources. Before the Tiger Woods scandal, he would have been a great person to cite because of his supposed commitment to family values. However, after his affair was publicized, he was no longer a good source of information on this topic. So, failing at one of these basic steps, such as context, can be a person's downfall.
The next most useful elements in making an argument would be the topics. Although we have not covered them thoroughly in class, they seem to be a reliable way in order to make strong comparisons between subjects. Along the same lines are the enthymeme and syllogism. These two ideas seem that they would make an extremely strong argument if used well.
The Classical Argument Structure also can help in making an effective Argument. I would be remiss if I left it out, but I feel as if we knew it already, if not by name. The concept may have been new to others but, since starting high school, my English teacher had focused on those same ideas as mentioned in the piece on the Classical Argument Structure. This structure is an important tool as it allows for varying structure and creativity within the piece. It also allows for an "aha moment" that the conventional "TICAP" essay does not afford. Generally, though all pieces of the course so far have been helpful, the greatest tool has been the rhetorical triangle and the exploration of how all of the pieces in this system fit together.
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